Devil's Rain
by Lyra Matsuoka
Summary: COMPLETE! Left to their own devices, Toby's children wind up in the Labyrinth, fighting for their sibling. And somewhere in the twisted way of the Labyrinth lies the answer to their father's greatest secret and a dazzling destiny...
1. Reckless and Young

Hey there, all! Okay, an explanation. There is J/S action in this fic, quite a bit of it, but there are also some fun created characters to spice things up. Yay for new characters! Actually, I was bored and had an idea. Hence, I write.  
Don't you love it when that happens?  
  
Chapter titles brought to you courtesy of Pam Tillis and her song 'Let That Pny Run.'  
  
Disclaimer: Labyrinth characters are not mine. Big surprise, no?   
  
Devil's Rain  
By Lyra Matsuoka  
PG-13 (just in case...mwa ha ha)  
  
Chapter 1 : Reckless and Young  
  
I would like to begin by saying very simply that this can in no way be construed as my fault. Yes, I realize that is a difficult thing to believe. Hell, I wouldn't believe me. But I must contend my innocence in this case. Official disclaimer inserted...moving on.  
  
Now that I've officially disavowed all guilt, allow me to say that I still believe in Santa Claus. Yup, I'm that eighteen year old who still writes letters addressed to the North Pole. This is important. The reason? Because I believe in Santa Claus, I also believe in the Easter Bunny, unicorns, witches, sprites, trolls and various other types of mythological figures.  
  
Including goblins.  
  
Hence, the person who said the words was not me. I *believed* they would come and grab me. It was my sixteen-year-old brother who called the Goblin King.   
  
You see? Not my fault.  
  
I'm confusing you, aren't I? Well, for the sake of everyone's sanity (including mine) let's start at the beginning.   
  
**************************************************************  
  
I hated high school. Well, I didn't hate it, but I was so glad to break into adulthood that I choose a college as far away from my hometown as it was possible to get and still be in the continental United States. College was all I had wanted and expected it to be; parties, challenging academics and tons of new people. I joined a sorority, several clubs and the school newspaper.   
  
I was in seventh heaven.   
  
But I missed my family. I wanted to see them again, to hug them and sleep in my own bed. Never underestimate the power of family ties, people. And food, home cooked food was becoming a recurring fantasy of mine. I used to dream about cute guys and Disney characters. I was in need of some honest kick-back time. And so I arrived at home with a smile on my face and a spring in my step.  
  
I shan't bore you with the details of the first few days Thanksgiving break goodness, but suffice it to say that after three days, I remembered why I had been glad to board my plane and run in the opposite direction. Two days after that, my family remembered why they were happy when I had.   
  
My oldest brother and I have never gotten along, so that was interesting. He locked me out of the house, I locked him into the laundry room. He was very resourceful about that...he tried to climb up the laundry chute. It didn't work. But it was amusing. Especially from a third floor point of view. Needless to say, the end of break couldn't come fast enough for Zane.  
  
My next two siblings were fairly wrapped up in their own lives. Ziven, my ten-year-old brother, was into the card game Magic at the time, and that was an incredibly time-consuming hobby. He spent most of his time at the card shop downtown, or holed up with his friends. Zelia, my twelve-year-old sister, had made the cheerleading squad, which meant that she was gone a great deal. I'm not sure what she was doing; I didn't really pay that much attention.   
  
The twins were fairly ambivalent about the whole thing. I wasn't their size, so I wasn't terribly interesting. Zachary and Zena are five, so they preferred relatives who brought presents. Yup, all Z names. A clever theme, coming from people named Tobias and Jan.  
  
My parents were thrilled to have me home, but got sick of insults and locked doors in a big hurry. I say, if you don't want fighting, don't have six children. All the fighting couldn't be pinned on Zane and me; Lia and Ziv had their share of knock-down-drag-out battles. Something about cheerleading briefs in a sink full of water and Magic cards being thrown around the house...  
  
Due to the disharmony in their home, my folks planned a night on the town for the evening of my seventh day home. And they left...drum roll please...Zane in charge. This is a bad idea under any circumstances and an even worse idea when I am home to torment him. Evil? Who, me?  
  
At six o'clock, my mother and father departed for greener pastures. At six fifteen, Lia went to a cheer practice and party and Ziv went over to the neighbors house for his sleep-over. Parents gone, Zane handling the munchkins...what was a girl to do? Grab the couch, the TV, the remote and Chunky Monkey ice cream, that's what. Alan Rickman Movie Marathon, starting with 'Prince of Thieves' and ending with 'Galaxy Quest.'  
  
I was happy. But the twins were not. Children are very smart, and Zach and Zena knew exactly how far they could push Zane. They were not happy to have him playing babysitter. Hey, no one likes a dictator.  
I ignored the screaming, the running, the slamming doors. I have had eighteen years of practice. I was not in charge. I even pretended not to notice when Zane was chasing Zena around the couch during the big battle scene.   
  
"Warrior Princess, how about some assistance?"  
  
"Not a chance, Zany-poo!" I trilled back in a sing-song voice, and turned up the volume. An excellent way to piss me off is to call me Warrior Princess. Just because I am six foot even does not mean I am an Amazon Queen. Okay, so it only annoys me when Zane does it. I never claimed that I wasn't perverse. I looked at my watch. 1..2..3..and on the count of four, Zane to came charging into the living room.   
  
"Zora, you are home for a grand total of nine days. Could you possibly move yourself to assist in the day-to-day operations of this house?"  
  
I pretended to think about it. Zach and Zena didn't really bother me, so I could...nah. I smiled and shook my head. Not after that crack about the Warrior Princess. And the incident yesterday where he had run about singing that old 'Zorro' theme song at the top of his lungs...  
  
So Zane glared at me while I watched the movie. Finally he left. Two seconds later, Zach came running in and hid behind the armchair. This was all very amusing.   
  
One thing to remember about large families: everything is handed down. Clothing, shoes, pets. Nothing goes to waste. But I draw the line at sharing my books. They are mine, and this is a well-established fact. There are certain things siblings do not touch, and my books rank in the top ten. I had, however, been forced to leave many of my books at home with the instruction that they not be touched, a sad exchange of literature for freedom. That said, they weren't; except for one. My copy of the play 'Labyrinth' had found its way into Zane's hands. He knew it was my favorite, hence he took it.   
  
What I didn't know was that he had read it.   
  
Zane came charging into the room after Zach and proceeded to chase him around the couch. This was all getting horribly repetitive and I was about to begin 'Dogma'. I did not want to watch said movie with a background of running feet. I looked at Zane and did a double take. I immediately opened my mouth to tell Zach to go to bed. Zane had reached his breaking point. I knew that look well. That look meant that the next water balloon, the next insult, was going to set him off. And Mount St. Helen has nothing on my sixteen-year-old brother when he gets pissed off.  
  
"I wish the goblins would come and take you away!" he said, in a very scary voice. I believe the theory was to scare Zach into running for cover. A sound strategy. The difficulty lay in the simple fact that the audience was made up of a four-year-old who believes in the boogey man and his much older sister who believes in everything else.   
  
Zach and I froze. Nothing was heard but the ticking of the clock. Zane knelt on the couch and leaned toward Zach.  
  
"Right now," he finished in a deadly cold whisper.   
  
I don't scare easily. It has a great deal to do with my 'knowledge is power' mantra. I watch horror movies and 20/20 without blinking an eye. But when my brother said those words, my heart stopped beating. My eyes widened and I slammed them shut seconds afterward and waited. I was fully convinced that the goblins were going to come grab my little brother.   
  
Nothing. Nada. No flashing lights, no blackout, nothing. It was slightly anticlimactic. Zach's lip trembled and he began to cry. He climbed up onto the couch and threw himself at me. I closed my arms around him and rounded on Zane. I was upset that I had allowed Zane to scare me, angry that he had tried, and doubly angry because he had yelled at Zach.  
  
"Very mature, Zane. Really, incredible self-restraint."  
  
Zane ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I didn't mean it."  
  
"And that matters...why? You said you wanted him gone, Zane. And you said so to his face. He's four years old, for God's sake."  
  
Zane slumped onto the couch and buried his head in his hands. With an exasperated glance at his still form, I abandoned the couch and carried Zach upstairs. He was already calming down, and by the time we had reached his room, he was asleep. I tucked him in and stroked his hair for a while. I wondered briefly if he would remember this tomorrow, and decided that he probably wouldn't. When his breathing had evened out, I rose and moved to close the door.   
  
That was when I noticed that Zena's bed was empty.   
  
Thinking she had merely run off again, I searched upstairs for her. She was nowhere around.   
  
When she wasn't upstairs I was annoyed.   
  
When she wasn't downstairs I was worried.   
  
"Zane, do you know where Zena is?"  
  
"In her bed," came the tired reply.  
  
"No, she's not," I sing-songed. Zane hates that. I do it all the time. Zane didn't reply, and I hadn't really expected him too. So I finished checking the main floor and headed down the steps to the rec room.  
  
When she wasn't in the basement, I started to panic. I ran back upstairs, various thoughts forming and discarding in my mind.   
  
"Where is she, Zane?" I demanded. "What did you say to Zena?"  
  
"Nothing! I didn't say anything to her. Not after I put her to bed anyway."  
  
"Was she sleeping?"  
  
"Yeah. Then I came down here to get Zach, wished the goblins would take him away...god, Zora, you don't believe that do you? It's only a story."  
  
"If you are so sure of that, then wish yourself away!"  
  
Nothing. Taboo is not so easily erased, and if Zane had read the play, then there was a tiny whisper of doubt in the back of his mind. Ever heard the expression, don't tease the animals? It's a good thing to keep in mind. I didn't remember.  
  
"I dare you!"  
  
Silence filled the room. Neither of us spoke. There is nothing that my brother hates more than a dare. And he hates them because he feels compelled to take them on.   
  
"I wish the goblins would come and take me away..."  
  
I threw myself at him.   
  
"Don't say it, you idiot!"  
  
My momentum knocked us both onto the couch, and what followed was a pathetic caricature of a WWF special. A lot of tussling, a few headlocks, and a great many quiet threats, but mostly me rolling around and sitting on Zane; hey, it was a fight! And if you're going to fight, fight to win.  
  
I had Zane pinned to the ground when my stomach clenched and I felt the room sway. Zane gripped the arm of the couch. It were as though the air were bending around us, attempting to force us out.   
  
The French doors blew open suddenly. Lights flashed and went out all together. Zane stared in shock and I rolled off of him and rose to my knees. Shadows danced and seemed to giggle. I stood and took a few steps backward. Zane was still on the floor, though he had pushed himself into a sitting position.   
  
It would have been sensible to try and close the doors. Neither of us moved. Zane was far too shocked to walk toward the door, and my suspicions kept me from moving. This was all so very familiar.  
  
"Oh my..." Zane started.  
  
"Goblin King," I breathed.   
  
As soon as I said it, there he was. A swirl of black silk and glitter, and the genuine article stood before us. Spiky hair, leather gloves, the whole shebang. A character out of a storybook was standing in my kitchen, right in front of me. I couldn't think of a thing to say. Zane didn't suffer the same affliction.  
  
"Where the hell?" he demanded. I gaped. No words forming here.   
  
"It's the Goblin King, Zane." I spoke automatically, without any real sense of words.  
  
"Who? Not the guy in your...man, this is rich. Who is this, Zora, one of your college friends?"  
  
"No friend of mine," I muttered. Not in so many words anyway.  
  
"Whatever. Look, I appreciate this little joke, and I hope everyone has had a good laugh at my expense. You can come out, Zena. Joke's over."  
  
"I assure you, Zane, this is no joke. You wished your brother away."  
  
"How did you..."  
  
"But I..." Zane didn't finish, and I knew that he had read the play from cover to cover.   
  
"What's said is said."  
  
I shook my head quickly, looking down. This was not happening.   
  
"Zora?" Suddenly Zane was beside me, clutching my arm. I looked at him and knew what he wanted. He wanted me to say this was all an elaborate prank, like the one's we had pulled in the past. I shook my head and saw his face fall. Zane understood and so did I.   
  
"Where's my sister?" Zane growled, assuming hostility in the face of a force he did not understand.   
  
"In the castle beyond the Goblin City," I supplied, not trying to be helpful. It was a simple fact. The Goblin King inclined his head slightly.   
  
"All right. Whatever, fine. What do I have to do to get her back?" Zane said, stepping in front of me. I shoved him to the side. He was so *not* keeping me out of this.   
  
"Zane, I've brought you a gift."  
  
And there was the crystal. The contact juggling was amazing, but Zane was not impressed.   
  
"I'd like my sister back...wait a second. I wished my *brother* away, not my sister. You can't take someone I haven't wished away."  
  
"They shared a womb once, your brother and sister. They are nearly the same person. One is the same as the other," the crystal was gone and Jareth stood with crossed arms.   
  
"If you want her back, then you must abide by the rules of the wish."  
  
"That's not the line..." I murmured. Zane tensed. He had caught it to.   
  
"You have thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth, or your little sister becomes one of us forever."   
  
Zane turned to look at me and I felt the air swirl.   
  
//Hold on to him and do not let go!//  
  
I did not question that there was a disembodied voice speaking to me. Stranger things have happened, and I was watching one of the stranger things right now. I reached out and grabbed Zane's wrist an instant before he vanished.  
  
Of course that meant that I vanished as well.   
  
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Wasn't that fun? This is what I call writing and posting on a whim. Party on!  
Feel free to leave a comments, feedback, whatever strikes your fancy in the little box!  
  
Peace, Love and All That Jazz,  
Lyra 


	2. Jealous Sun, Empty Sky

Aaaaaaaaand I'm back! How are all of you? I apologize for the confusion of the 'Z' names. It was a random idea, and I didn't realize it would be so confusing. My bad. Also, I appear to be psychic. Lauralye, that is insane! I LOVE it! Of course I had no idea, but that is cool beyond words...  
  
Enjoy everyone!  
  
This chapter title brought to you by 'Sting' and his song 'Fields of Gold'.  
  
Disclaimer: No one gets anything interesting if they sue me for using Jim Henson's creations illegally, so why bother?   
  
Devil's Rain  
by Lyra Matsuoka  
Rated PG-13  
  
Chapter 2 : Jealous Sun, Empty Sky   
  
All that I remember of that instant after I snapped out of one plane and entered another is that it seemed to go on forever. I felt as though I had fallen down the proverbial rabbit hole. But the positive side of that experience was it gave me time to remember. The human mind is a fascinating thing. It absorbs everything and yet allows very little to seep to the surface of the conscious mind.   
  
That's what disappearing will do to you. It answers your questions; even if they're questions you haven't asked yet.  
  
When I was eight, my dad cleaned out the attic and turned it into a bedroom for me. This involved a great many boxes being transported downstairs for inspection. All the boxes were labeled: 'Zora Baby Clothes', 'Crib', 'China Dishes', etc. And way back in the corner were old cardboard boxes labeled 'Toby'. Dad explained that those were his old toys and books, things he had kept to pass along to his children. Zane was very interested in the old toy cars and comics, but the books came to me.  
  
And beneath battered copies of 'The Little Engine That Could' and 'Green Eggs and Ham' was a small volume covered in red leather. I remember picking it up and running my hands over the title. I couldn't read the gold title as it was a word I had never seen before, and I didn't get the chance to work it out. Dad turned around and saw me holding it.  
  
"Zora! Where did you get that?"  
  
I pointed at the box and found the small book removed from my hands.   
  
"I don't want you to have this book, Zora. Something happened to the last owner, and I don't want anything happening to you. Okay?"  
  
I nodded mutely and forgot about the little thing. It hadn't been interesting enough to fight over. But three years later, at a mature eleven, I had been looking for Easter eggs and come across the same little book shoved behind the piano. Why the piano, you may ask. To be honest, I have no idea. I wouldn't have seen it, but a corner was sticking out. And being the good little girl that I was, I decided to investigate. By pulling hard, I managed to work the book loose, and once that was done, I read the title. Labyrinth. I left it there, but snuck down that night and grabbed it.  
  
No one ever noticed that it was missing. I think my father had forgotten about it.  
  
I wasn't quite sure what had driven me to take the book, but once I had it, I couldn't wait to read it. I opened the cover and saw a name written in delicate script above the title.   
  
Sarah Williams.  
  
It was a very long time before I knew who Sarah Williams was.  
  
****************************************************************  
  
I feel compelled to point out that it is nearly impossible to enter a plane of existence gracefully. Zane and I ended up in a heap. He entered the plane, tripped and fell due to disorientation, and I fell on him.   
  
Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. I raised my head with murder in my eyes. I was looking for Jareth. But what I saw first took my breath away.   
  
"Zora! Get off!" Zane was yelling at me, so I pushed myself up to my knees and then to my feet without taking my eyes off the view before me. Zane stood up quickly, glaring at me in righteous indignation. Then he followed my eyes and his jaw dropped open.   
  
Zane and I stood on a hilltop beneath an iridescent sky. Jareth stood behind us. If you think it would be cool to stand in front of the Labyrinth...can't help you there. It was very cool. It was also mortally terrifying.   
  
I still had nothing to say. 'Wow' seemed too un-cool. So I kept my mouth shut.  
  
Jareth was looking at me as though I were the most interesting piece of art he had ever seen.   
  
"Two siblings running for one? That is unusual," he murmured, stroking his upper lip with his thumb. "I supposed I shall be forced to alter the rules a bit."  
  
That got our attention.   
  
"Hold on one second..." Zane began, stepping forward as if to grab Jareth. I felt the air bend again and was in danger of becoming ill. I closed my eyes, regrouped, and when I opened them Zane was gone. Or rather, I was somewhere different. I wasn't sure where I'd ended up exactly, but it was not the barren hillside I had started at. There were walls all around me, and benches and trees were scattered about the general area. I gaped. Again. It was getting repetitive.  
  
"What in the hell..."   
  
"Such profanity from the mouths of babes."  
  
I whirled and saw Jareth standing behind me. I frowned.   
  
//Do not fear. He has transported you to the center of the Labyrinth. This is an advantage, if you care to use it. He is tampering with the rules. Do not let him!//  
  
Tampering with the rules? Could he do that? Well, it was his Labyrinth, after all. In theory he could do what ever he wanted. In theory, I was a push over who did whatever he said and played the game his way. In reality, I was not about to let this guy push me around.   
  
"Okay. Obviously the rule of thirteen has been altered in some way."  
  
Jareth appeared mildly surprised.   
  
"Don't get many people here who know the rules, eh?" Sometimes I just can't resist.  
  
"Quite the opposite. Many people are nearing the point of hysteria by this point. Of course, you didn't make the world-jump as easily as most mortals. That interests me. It also interests me that you are so terribly calm about this."  
  
I raised my eyebrow. It seemed as though the Goblin King was working on a full length speech extolling the inherent weakness of those who had challenged his Labyrinth in the past. Far be it from me to interrupt.  
  
"To answer your question, no. That rule has not changed. However, I have never had two siblings running the Labyrinth at once. It presents something of a quandary. So, I have split the two of you up."  
  
"Yeah, caught that. So what do I have to do to get my sister back?"  
  
"You and your brother must reach the castle and find your sister, all within 13 hours," Jareth smirked, leaning against some sort of planter.   
  
"Nope." Tact? Who needs tact?   
  
Jareth lost the smirk in a hurry. I sometimes have that effect on people. "Pardon me?"  
  
"I don't think so. The challenge applies either to Zane and me as a unit, or to Zane alone. He's the one who wished Zach away. I just tagged along for the ride."  
  
There is a history of insanity in my family. I just know it. No one but me would argue with a god-knows-how-old magical being that could squash me without even trying. It's sort of like daring an enraged rhino to charge you.  
  
"True enough. But you interfered, which means that you are as much a part of this game as he is."  
  
Damn. He had a point. "All right. I'll give you that."   
  
Jareth sort of smirked, and lo and behold there was another crystal. He tossed it up and I caught it. Instinctive reaction that comes from too many years of playing baseball with my dad and brothers. Someone tosses an object at your face, and you catch it. Simple.   
  
I wasn't really expecting the crystal to be as light as it was. And I certainly wasn't expecting it to start glowing as soon as it touched my palm. Glowing from deep inside, and a picture was forming. It was Zane. I stared at the miniature movie of my brother trying to find a way into the Labyrinth. The door was glowing, but he couldn't see it. He walked right past it.   
  
I frowned, and then realized that Zane couldn't see what I could. How could I...  
  
//Concentrate and *push* from within. Use the crystal as a magnifier.//  
  
Disembodied voice speaking again. No problem. It hadn't steered me wrong yet. I focused on the picture and concentrated on making the door open. I felt incredibly stupid, especially with Jareth standing so close to me. So I closed my eyes and pictured the doors in my mind; as though I was standing right in front of them. And I felt a yank at something inside me.   
  
And the door opened.  
  
In the miniature movie, the door creaked and opened. I kid you not. I couldn't believe it. It was a little like a video game, where you twitch the controls and something unexpected happens. Zane looked back in shock and darted through. The doors remained open as I watched Zane look both ways and head to the left.   
  
I glanced up at Jareth. His features were a thunderous mask.   
  
"Very well. You are here through my own folly. If you can find your way to the castle, and your brother is with you, you may all return home. If not, then here your sister stays."  
  
I nodded. What else could I do? I'd obviously just done something unexpected, and that something appeared to be a rather large no-no. Jareth walked toward me, and I stood my ground. First rule of dealing with bullies: if you stand your ground, they either back off or you fight. I didn't think Jareth was going to back off. I sort of hoped he wouldn't. I wanted to hit him for pulling my family into this, smack him around a little and teach him a lesson.   
  
But he stepped around me, and I felt his eyes surveying me. He was sizing me up. I knew what he was seeing. My mother's coffee colored hair, my father's deep blue eyes, skin that had cleared up a few years ago. Black boots, jeans, white shirt and a black sweater coat that I had been wearing since my brother had turned the heat down earlier. At six foot, I could almost look him in the eye. Though I'm almost positive I'm taller, his power and my twinges of fear made it nearly impossible to determine who was taller.   
  
"Dark hair. Not your father's. Your mother's then. But it looks so much like...I wonder if he chose your mother because of the resemblance?"  
  
I started as a gloved hand ran fingers through my hair. Stepping forward I slapped his hand away and turned, my eyes and face as calm as I could make them. Jareth stepped backward.   
  
I felt a tug at the crystal in my hand. It was straining toward Jareth.   
  
"I don't think so," I said, pulling the crystal back into my body with some effort. Jareth didn't respond. He just vanished in a cloud of glitter. The glitter sprayed outward and stopped a few inches from my shoes.   
  
"He's a little anti-social," I muttered, and looked into the crystal again. Every opening was glowing. With a wry grin I hopped up on a bench and looked around. The castle was straight ahead. I jumped down, my knee length sweater coat billowing behind me.   
  
"Good thing I wasn't in pajama's," I said, talking to a tree. The tree made no response. I shook my head and looked around. I headed north, leaving the lovely stone garden behind.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
There you are everyone. The second installment of my second Laby story. SO exciting. Heh! Don't forget to review!  
  
Peace, Love and All That Jazz,  
Lyra 


	3. A Magic Spark

Hi again! Well, this fic is rolling right along! Here is Chapter 3, and I hope that you all enjoy it. Rock on.  
  
This chapter title brought to you by 'The Power of the Dream' sung by Celine Dion.  
  
Disclaimer: *holds up a generic disclaimer written on a white piece of   
cardboard*   
  
Devil's Rain  
By Lyra Matsuoka  
Rated PG-13  
  
Chapter 3 : A Magic Spark  
  
Black knit wool is not the best thing to wear if one is going to traverse a Labyrinth. For one thing, it snags on things very easily. But that was an idle observation that I made after the fourth or fifth turn of the stone walls. Nothing was helpful...in fact, everything was very confusing, and some of it was downright creepy.  
  
Gnarled hands sticking out of the wall pointing in different directions is a prime example. That's just wrong.  
  
But that aside, I was forced to the conclusion that I was horribly lost. Not that I was surprised, but it made me feel better to admit it. And via the view in the crystal, I could see that Zane wasn't fairing much better. On the plus side, he wasn't being obtuse. He hadn't fallen into an oubliette and he wasn't being chased by anything. But he was getting frustrated.  
  
I didn't blame him. I felt the same way. So I did what my mother had always told me to do if I ever got lost.  
  
I sat down.  
  
My legs ached like I'd been running forever, and I was developing a headache. These things, combined with the fact that I had been sucked into a world that defied every law of physics that I could think of and that the well being of two of my siblings hung in the balance was just too much. So I slumped to the ground and put my head on my knees. I'd lost track of the number of turns, and was fairly sure that I wouldn't have been able to find my way back to the center if my life had depended on it.   
  
Of course, my life did depend on getting to that damn castle. But the towering spires were like the ultimate desert mirage. It didn't matter how hard I tried, it stayed the exact same distance away. Terribly annoying. But I couldn't figure out what to do about it. I did consider scaling the walls, but I was reasonably certain that an action of that sort constituted cheating, and I wasn't willing to forfeit the game.  
  
The crystal hadn't left my hand. I had been using it to monitor Zane's progress, and now it provided an excellent meditation focal point. I focused my eyes on the crystal and let them slide in and out of focus. What I expected was the calming sensation of my mind flowing peacefully. What I got was a memory.  
  
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My family photo albums are kept out of the reach of small hands, and so I wasn't very interested in them until I was around the age of 15. By that time I was 5 foot 9, and there weren't many things I couldn't reach. And when the time came for me to do a little family tree for Health class, I was granted permission to find pictures of all my family members for use in this artistic work.   
  
It wasn't very interesting at first. My siblings and I were at the bottom, Dad and Mom directly above us. Mom's family was easy to chart, even with three aunts and 9 cousins. Dad's albums were fairly standard. His college graduation, high school graduation, and seventh grade band performance. But the younger he got, the sadder Gram and Gramps appeared.   
  
And I found out why.  
  
I found the oldest pictures that I could. And instead of a family of three, there was a family of four. A man and a woman, the woman holding a baby, and a very pretty girl about my age standing next to the man. I pulled the picture clear of its protective plastic sleeve and flipped it over.  
  
'The Williams Family, 1986. Robert, Karen, Sarah and Toby.'  
  
*************************************************************  
  
I shook my head slightly. Sarah Williams, the girl whose copy of the Labyrinth was now in my possession. Sarah Williams, my father's half-sister, the only aunt I had never met.  
  
My eyes tilted upward and I sighed. No use wasting time. So I pushed myself up and walked to the corner. Another crossroad. Damn. I tightened my hold on the crystal and resisted the urge to throw it. That wouldn't get me anywhere. But it would have been satisfying to hear the shattering noise.   
  
As if in response to my emotions, the crystal grew warmer in my hands. I looked down and saw that it was glowing red. Startled, I held it up in front of me. Hey, I didn't want to let go, but if it was going to explode I wanted it as far away from me as possible. I turned to the left, still holding the crystal out in front of me, and it started glowing a deeper red, and got hotter.   
  
"What the.." I swung to the right, and the glow turned to a deep blue, the color of a twilight sky. I raised an eyebrow. The crystal was helping me? Not that I was complaining. And since Jareth had given me the crystal, it couldn't be considered cheating.   
  
So I walked to the right. Who am I to go against the edicts of a glowing crystal? But the hallway, if it could be deemed a hallway, ended rather quickly, and I found myself at another left-right decision-making opportunity. The crystal was still glowing midnight blue. I turned to the left, and it stayed that color. So I proceeded to the left. I hadn't been getting anywhere by myself. I followed the blue crystal wherever it seemed to want to go.   
  
But all good things must come to an end. And at an intersection of five corridors, the crystal stopped glowing all together.  
  
"Damn," I cursed, looked at the crystal with a mixture of chagrin and anger. I transferred the crystal to my left hand and shook my right out, attempting to return the circulation to my fingers. While doing that, I looked around. Each corridor looked exactly the same. There simply weren't any differences.   
  
I swiped my hand down each of them, hoping that the crystal hadn't activated because only one of the hallways was real. A reflection of sorts was what I was hoping for. But each and every one of the corridors was real. The light shone equally down all five of them, but I felt certain that only one of them was going to take me to the castle. The others...well, I wasn't really all that curious about the others. But which one to take?  
  
Just as I was about to resort to eeny-meeny-minee-mo I heard footsteps. I jerked my eyes quickly from one corridor to the next searching for whomever, or whatever, was proceeding me, and I saw a denim clad leg vanish around a corner down the fourth path. Denim...Zane had been wearing jeans.  
  
"Hey! Wait!" I called, sprinting after that leg. I was near the place I had seen it when I began hoping that the leg was attached to a human being and not some sort of weird creature who was going to slow me down. The corridor split left to right and kept going straight. I looked to the right in time to see long dark hair swishing around another corner. Okay, not Zane. Zane's hair is longer than most boys, but it isn't waist length. So I wasn't following Zane. Oh well. At least I had something of a direction.  
  
I didn't waste time calling. I just followed the hair. The crystal was heavy in my hand, but it didn't slow me down. I'm not sure how long I spent following the flashes of clothing and hair around bends and turns, but I eventually ended up in an odd sort of crystal garden. There were plants; bushes, trees, flowers. But they were all made of colored crystal. The ground was still the sandy stone of the Labyrinth, but I sensed another presence here. A clear crystal fountain stood in the center, and it was a sculpture of some very odd creatures. A fox riding a sheepdog, a dwarf of some kind with a big nose and a large bundle of jewels or something at his waist, and a large creature with a squashed face and horns atop his head.   
  
"Whoa..." I breathed, gazing at it. The water sprang from the top of the big creatures hair, and the way the moisture trickled down the crystal made the sculpture seem alive.   
  
"Isn't it lovely here?"  
  
I jumped, turned and shrieked all at the same time. That takes talent. Of course, I have a great deal of practice. I hate things that sneak up on me. I was expecting Zane at best, and something that might try to eat me at worst. But behind me stood a harmless looking girl of about fifteen. Her hair was long and dark brown. Jeans, a peasant blouse and embroidered vest, shoes that looked suited to the stage. But her eyes...her eyes were much older than her physical appearance. Her eyes were wise and kind and slightly terrifying.   
  
"Hello Zora."  
  
Oh, God. She knew my name. How did she know my name? First inclination...run. Get as far away from this weird garden and this very weird girl as fast as possible. But something stopped me; something more than the crystal in my hand. I knew this girl. I had seen her somewhere.   
  
I had seen her picture.  
  
Sarah Williams.   
  
*******************************************************************  
  
It had taken me a while to ask my dad about the picture. And by a while I mean a few hours. I had laid the picture aside and completed my project, knowing full well that the first thing my father would say would be 'Is your homework done?'  
So I made sure that not only was my homework done, but that my chores were as well.  
  
And then I approached my father.  
  
He had stared at the picture for a long time, barely breathing. He hadn't asked about chores or homework or quizzed me about science. He just sat there, looking at the picture I handed him. I stood there, regretting that I had shown him that picture, afraid of what it was doing to him.  
  
"She's my sister, Zora."  
  
I jumped. My father had been quiet for so long, I had thought him made of stone.   
  
"My half sister, really. My mother married my father, but Dad had a daughter all ready. And her name was Sarah. I don't remember what happened to Sarah's mother, since Dad won't talk about it, but I think his first wife left them both in favor of her career. Sarah never really got over it. She didn't like Mom much. I remember that. And I remember the feeling being semi-mutual. Mom wanted Sarah to be feminine and normal, and Sarah just wasn't like that. And when Sarah was fifteen, she disappeared. She was babysitting me, and when Dad and Mom came back to the house, Sarah wasn't there. I was asleep in my crib, but Sarah was gone."  
  
I was almost afraid to speak. The lines of my father's face seemed deeper, and he looked tired...much more so than he had when I entered the room.   
  
"But, Daddy, that's..."  
  
"Odd. I know. She didn't take anything with her. She just...disappeared. Mom was convinced that she had run away, and Dad thought Mom had driven her away. They never resolved that. They listed her as missing, but nothing ever turned up."   
  
My father shook his head, looking a little lost. I couldn't blame him. I did the calculations quickly and roughly. My father had been no more than an infant when Sarah had vanished. If she was out there somewhere, she would be in her fifties. But in his mind, in his mental process, Sarah was fifteen. She was no older than I was.   
  
"Fifteen?" And it all made sense now. The strict curfews, the compulsive desire to meet all my friends and know where I was at all times. "What was she like?"  
  
"Dad says that she was a little strange, but not in an unhealthy way. She loved acting, and fantasy books. She wanted to go to college and be an actress. She loved make-believe."  
  
That explained Grams disapproval with my tendencies toward the theatrical and fantastic, and the sadness in Gramps's eyes when he looked at my mom, and at me. I had noticed the resemblance between my mom and that stranger with the sad eyes in the photograph, and I looked a great deal like my mother.   
  
"That book, Daddy. The one you took away from me when I was eight. Was that hers?"  
  
"That was her favorite play. Labyrinth. That was lying beside my crib on the floor when my parents came home."  
  
I took the picture back, and left my father to his thoughts.   
  
I never mentioned Sarah again.  
  
********************************************************************  
  
Sarah and I stood several feet apart, facing each other across a set of crystal rose bushes. She didn't move and neither did I. So we stood, allowing the sound of the wind and the water to speak for us. My eyes shot to the crystal. It was back to playing the miniature movie of Zane.  
  
"Why are you here, Zora?"  
  
She seemed older than fifteen, older than me. I was reminded of science fiction movies when the mind of a seventy year old is transplanted to a much younger body. Looking fifteen and being fifteen were two very different things, and this woman was not an angst filled teenager. Her bearing was oddly formal, and I responded accordingly.   
  
"My brother wished my sister away."  
  
"And why did you not simply forget about her?"  
  
"All things being equal, I'd rather have my sister than a little peace and quiet."  
  
"But it was your brother who spoke the words, and your brother whose will was behind it. It was his battle to fight. Why have you come?"  
  
"Zane is my brother, and there's something about that whole blood relation thing that compels me to keep him safe."  
  
"Ah. But why have you come?"  
  
"To help him."  
  
"Is that the only reason?"  
  
I had no answer. Was it the only reason?   
  
"Why the third degree?"  
  
"I'm curious."   
  
Just like that, the older, creepier voice was gone, and in its place was a very normal fifteen-year-old.  
  
"Curious because I have been here for a rather long time, and I have seen many people come and go. And in that time I have never witnessed two siblings running for one."  
  
"Fascinating."  
  
"More often than not, they grow frustrated and give up. There are many children here whose relatives gave a half hearted attempt at best."  
  
"How interesting."  
  
"You aren't very communicative."  
  
"You aren't asking questions."  
  
"Why are you here, Zora?"  
  
"Why are you here, Sarah?"  
  
Stalemate. Neither of us spoke. Sarah's eyes softened slightly as she looked at me, and mine widened. Something was appearing behind her.   
  
"Why, she is here because I wanted her here," came the response.  
  
The crystal garden now held three people. An eighteen-year-old theatre/sociology major, a fifteen year old with ancient eyes...and the Goblin King; it was practically a party.   
  
Goody.  
****************************************************************  
  
Chapter 3 up and running. HURRAH! It will be followed quickly by Chapter 4, which is already in the making. JA!  
  
Peace, Love and All That Jazz,  
Lyra 


	4. Clock of Crystal, Heart of Glass

I don't really have anything to say, so on to the fic!  
  
Disclaimer: The rights to 'Labyrinth' seem to have vanished into the great void that is my desk. And since I never held the rights to Labyrinth in the first place, I'm not particularly concerned.   
  
Devil's Rain  
By Lyra Matsuoka  
Rated PG-13  
  
Chapter 4 : Clock Of Crystal, Heart of Glass  
  
Jareth didn't stay put for long. He moved toward Sarah, and Sarah backed up. Step forward, step back. It was like a demented dance, one that could be performed without the participants touching. Sarah's face was set along angry lines...she wasn't afraid. Or if she was, she was hiding it well. She just didn't want the Goblin King in her personal space. Hey, I understand that.   
  
"Get out, Jareth. You have no power here."  
  
"Not entirely true, my dear. I have a great deal of power...in many areas," his voice grew heated, and his eyes burned into hers. I was a good seven feet away and I felt the scorching heat of that stare.   
  
Okay, I was way too young for this. I was out of here.   
  
Jareth wasn't paying attention to me. Nor was Sarah. They were both wrapped up in each other, oblivious to what was happening around them.  
  
Or so I thought.  
  
I turned and walked toward one of the openings in the garden wall, and felt a tingling sort of energy around me. It made me nervous. But I kept walking...slowly this time. And after three steps, I ran into another wall. This one was, of course, invisible. And guess what? All around me were invisible walls. All around me, except for the direction from whence I had come.   
  
"I am not amused," I stated, whirling to face Jareth.   
  
"Nor am I," he replied, but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were focused on Sarah. "You aren't going anywhere just now."  
  
"Why? What did I do?"  
  
Jareth didn't answer. Though I had the oddest feeling that this demonstration had very little to do with me, I wanted to argue. I wanted to walk over to His Majesty and show him everything I had learned in self-defense class. I opened my mouth to begin the tirade, and choked.   
  
Literally. I choked. I didn't lose my nerve or think better of starting a fight I wasn't entirely sure I could finish. No, not me. I was ready and willing to have a knock-down-drag-out fight over the invisible wall issue. But I couldn't make the words come.  
  
//Calm down. This is not the time, nor is it the place, for you to challenge the Goblin King.//  
  
A pause. I had the horrible urge to say 'You're not the boss of me!' I was not happy.  
  
//Relax for a moment and think. Turn this to your advantage.//  
  
I rolled my eyes again (I am something of an expert at this) and plopped down on a stone and crystal bench. Fine, fine. I didn't really have the energy to argue with the Goblin King, anyway. But I had to resist the urge to stick my tongue out at someone. Maturity at its best.   
  
I looked toward Jareth and Sarah. They hadn't even moved. It didn't look like they were planning on moving any time soon. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to play around. Time...hey, wait a second...  
  
I opened my mouth, praying that I was allowed to speak if I wasn't too insulting.  
  
"Well, at least stop the clock. You'd be breaking the rules if you kept me here and didn't stop the time."  
  
I could talk. Good for me.   
  
No reaction, but I felt the crystal cool down. Maybe that was a sign. I reached out to the side, and found the same invisible walls boxing me in. I couldn't see them, but I knew I wasn't going anywhere. Not for a while anyway.   
  
I clapped twice, no emotion showing.   
  
"Very impressive, your majesty. Can you tie balloon animals and pull a rabbit out of a hat?"   
  
No reaction. Damn. I hate to waste perfectly decent insults. But the fact I could make them at all was an improvement. So I sat down and focused on the crystal. I could think of no real reason for my being forced to stay. I saw Sarah reach out to the air surrounding her, and watched as her hands met some sort of solid surface. Ah. The walls were to prevent *her* from leaving. Well, that was slightly better. Not much, but slightly. My suspicions were now confirmed. At least it wasn't personal.   
  
"Oh, no. No running this time, Sarah."  
  
"I will do as I please!"  
  
"Will you now? You seem to be unable to do as you wish currently."  
  
"Fine. You are the most powerful magician in the Labyrinth. I stand in awe of you. Now may I pass?"  
  
I had to give Sarah the thumbs up on that one. Not a bad comeback. Her technique needed work, but one step at a time.   
  
"Why, thank you. But I don't think I'm going to..."  
  
All right, I was done messing around with this. Whatever this situation was, and I didn't pretend to understand it, I had a sibling to save. I looked into the crystal with annoyance, and saw a picture form. It was Zane. He was staring at a set of doors, trying to decide which one to walk through. The left one was shining. I tried to urge him through it...and it seemed to work. Zane passed through the door and I watched it swing shut. As the door closed, the picture changed. Now it was me, inside the crystal garden. The miniature me walked up to the crystal statue and pulled the cluster of jewels hanging from the dwarfs waist. A tile opened beneath the miniature me, and "I" fell through.  
  
"We're sorry, your call cannot be completed as dialed."  
  
The crystal smoked for a moment, and the movie began again. This time the movie played me pulling the fox's sword down and falling through the floor.  
  
"Do all these end with me falling to an unknown destination? No chance," I whispered, hoping that Jareth and Sarah would keep themselves busy. The time had come for action.   
  
"Pardon me? I realize that I am merely a humble audience member, but I have a few errands to run before nightfall. Grocery store, Blockbuster, with a stop at the Goblin City to save a sibling. Would you mind if I left?"  
  
No reaction. Okay then. Obviously, these people have no appreciation for sarcasm. I stood and started to walk away. I could feel the walls moving with me, but I wasn't all that concerned. After all, Jareth wasn't interested in me. At least, I didn't think he was. Okay, so this was a huge gamble on my part and I had no idea what was going to happen. What, I'm supposed to have all the answers?  
  
Of course, all things must come to an end. Including the well being of my body. I was nearly out of the garden when I slammed into the wall. Not that I had forgotten it was there, but I had sort of been hoping it would go away.   
  
It didn't. Hence, pain. Not too bad, but the kind that echoed all the way from my neck to my knees. Not fun. And it was really the last straw. I got mad. I whirled to face Jareth, my eyes ablaze.  
  
"Back off, your Majesty."  
  
He looked at me with surprise. He had obviously not expected me to speak.   
  
I don't know what made me do it. It didn't make sense. Maybe it was the fact that the crystal had helped me before. But whatever the reason, I got mad all over again. I held the crystal out in front of me until it tapped the wall, and I *pushed*.  
  
A surge of something shot through my body, starting at my feet and blasting upward and down my arm. The energy split at my wrist and splintered through my fingers; it went into the crystal and exploded.  
  
The walls shattered. I felt and heard them fall around me. I looked at my extended hand in shock, and finally started to smile. Cool, man.   
  
//Well, well. That was interesting. Unexpected, certainly...//  
  
I stood stock still for a moment, feeling rather proud of myself for no particular reason. And it was about five second into the silent 'golly gee whiz' phase that I realized my hand was numb. Damn drawbacks.   
  
I turned and smiled lightly at the Goblin King. He raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Well, well. Our guest is becoming quite the little magician."  
  
He was so utterly condescending. I wondered briefly if he could teach me how to say things in that manner. It was surely a valuable life skill. Sarah stood stock still for a moment, and then reached out her own hands. And that was when I realized that I hadn't merely decimated the invisible walls around me, I had managed to knock down those around Sarah as well.   
  
"Don't do something we will both regret, Sarah. Forever is a long time."  
  
Sarah thrust a hand into her pocket and raised her arms above her head. One fist was tightly closed. She brought her arms down in a sharp and decisive gesture. Three colored marbles shot toward the ground and exploded in a twist of blue, red and green smoke. As the billowing cloud twisted around her, Sarah smiled.  
  
"It's only forever."  
  
The colorful smoke folded in on itself quickly.  
  
"Not long at all," came the whispered phrase.   
  
Sarah was gone. Neat-o. This show was getting better every minute.   
  
"The Fates are against me," Jareth muttered.   
  
"Karma?" I suggested. The feeling was returning to my hand, gripped tingling fingers around the crystal. I refused to try and shake the blood back into my digits while the Goblin King was watching. I have my pride.   
  
Jareth shook his head and pointed at the wall. I followed his finger with my eyes, and saw a crystal clock embedded in the wall. It had two hands and thirteen hours, and the hands weren't moving. The hour hand was on the five, and the minute hand (if it really was operating like an Aboveground clock) was on the seven. Great. Plenty of time to finish the Labyrinth, if I wasn't interrupted again.   
  
Jareth snapped his gloved fingers and the clock began ticking once again. I looked back at the Goblin King, and started backing away from him. He snorted.  
  
"I'm not going to fire a spell at you once your back is turned."  
  
"I didn't say you were."  
  
"Then why are you backing away from me?"  
  
"A keen sense of self preservation."  
  
"My darling girl, you have just decimated my invisible walls. Doesn't that give you any kind of an inkling?"  
  
"About what?"  
  
"And that is the question of the hour," Jareth murmured. "Better run along, Zora. Not much time left."  
  
And Jareth was gone as well, spraying glitter all over me once again. I shook my head.  
  
"Show-off," I muttered, and turned to exit the garden. On impulse, I turned around for another look at the sculpture.  
  
"Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didymus," I recited, and smiled.  
  
I was most definitely not in Kansas anymore. And the more I thought about it, the more I thought that wasn't such a bad thing. I smiled broadly and turned on my heel, crystal in hand. It was definitely time to get a move on.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
There you are, all you fabulous readers. To everyone who has reviewed thus far, thank you! You are all wonderful...and there will be a big thank you section at the end of this fun little fic, I promise!  
  
Peace, Love and All That Jazz,  
Lyra 


	5. What I've Tasted Of Desire

As I was editing this chapter, I saw a commercial in which David Bowie dropped through a motel room ceiling. Why doesn't that ever happen to me? Not fair not fair not fair. But that commercial was amusing. And it gave me a subject for author's notes! How's about that?  
  
This chapter title brought to you by Robert Frost. Gotta love Frost.   
  
Devil's Rain  
By Lyra Matsuoka  
Rated PG-13  
  
Chapter 5 : What I've Tasted Of Desire  
  
It took me a good five minutes to get myself nice and lost again. Hey, that was a record even for me. The crystal had gone chilly in my hand, as though it weren't sure if it approved of my magical epiphany.   
  
"It is a crystal. It is *not* alive," I ground out.  
  
"Well," I reasoned aloud, "if it isn't alive, how do you explain its response to you?"  
  
It took me a few seconds to realize that I was arguing...with myself. And the worst part was, I had irrefutable logic on my side. You can't lose an argument with yourself. Can you? Oh, God. I shook my head and kept walking as I pondered. Left, right, right, right, left, left, right. This sucked in the worst way.   
  
I paused and wondered again if it would be considered fair to climb over the walls. Hey, nothing ventured...so I looked for a foothold, and reached up. Hey, I was tired of walking around in circles. I paused before I reached the top, half expecting to be blasted down the instant my hand cleared the top.   
  
"This is *so* cheating..." I muttered as I hauled my body to the top of the wall. All I really wanted was to get a sense of direction, but I wasn't entirely certain that Jareth was going to listen to what I had to say on the matter. I looked to both sides, then up, and finally down.   
  
No Jareth, no magical booby traps. Nada.   
  
"So far, so good," I muttered, and got to my feet. I had five years of ballet and gymnastics under my belt, so walking the wall was not a problem. The Goblin City lay to my right, and now that I could see clearly I headed that way. Nothing like good old fashioned mortal ingenuity.   
  
"I am not cheating," I rationalized as I stepped carefully across a gap in the wall. "Jareth did not say that I couldn't climb the walls and walk across the top of the Labyrinth. I didn't sign anything saying that I couldn't solve the Labyrinth this way. Hence I win."  
  
Talking to myself was not helping my stomach. I was hungry, I was tired, and I was walking a razor thin line between solving the greatest riddle I had ever run across and seriously offending a powerful magical being.  
  
As soon as I got home, I was taking up a nice, safe hobby. Like skydiving; or bungee jumping maybe.   
  
That thought made me smile at least. Said smile didn't last long, as I nearly fell of the wall at the next curve. Less talk and more concentration. Right.   
  
However, my talking is all that I am able to control. I have no say in what others discuss. Particularly when that discussion is being held in loud, carrying voices. And I was curious, especially since those voices sounded human. But time was against me. I was going to pass by carefully; at least, that was the plan. But the crystal, which I had put into my pocket when it stopped being useful, began to radiate a heat that I could feel through my sweater and my jeans.   
  
"Damn!" I fished the crystal out and glared at the now red orb. "You had better have an excellent excuse for this interruption."  
  
//Pause for a moment at the next bend. There is something you need to see.//  
  
"And I'm supposed to take your word for that? I have more important things to do than eavesdrop." Hey, I had already talked to a tree, and myself. Why not add a crystal to the list?  
  
//Even if the eavesdropping will gain you what your heart desires most?//  
  
"Listening in on someone else's conversation will help me get my sister and brother back? You'll have to forgive me if I am just a tad skeptical."  
  
//I said what your heart desires *most*, not what it wants on the surface of things.//  
  
"Well aren't we being prophetic?" I shook my head in disgust. "And here I am, wasting time fighting with a disembodied voice and a crystal."  
  
//Just give in. You know I am right.//  
  
"And just what are you right about?" I enquired peevishly. But I still stood and walked carefully toward the sound of the raised voices. I heard a dry chuckle and chose to ignore it. I despise losing arguments.   
  
I leapt across the gap of two walls and glanced over to my right. Just below me stood Jareth. Good thing he wasn't looking up. And right across from him was...Sarah. Good God. I might have known. I rolled my eyes. Sarah was pacing before the Goblin King, and he was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, watching her.   
  
I've had boyfriends, but not one of them had ever looked at me the way Jareth was looking at Sarah. His eyes swept over her like she was a prize to be won, and his stance was very...possessive. How did I know this? Hey, I am a child of the technological era, which means I read books and watch movies. But that look made my heart beat a little faster, and Sarah was acting as though she had no idea he was behaving in that way.   
  
"Sarah, why do you resist me? Why now, of all times?"  
  
"You know why, Jareth. Those children have done nothing to you!"  
  
"Nor have any of the others who have walked this maze in the time you have been here."  
  
"This is different, Jareth! And you know why!"  
  
"Because your half-brother's children are now in the Labyrinth, I am to disregard centuries of tradition?"   
  
Ladies and gentlemen, we have confirmation! Aunt Sarah was fighting with the Goblin King. And to top it off, the man had a point.   
  
"Yes!" Sarah hissed, stopping suddenly and whirling to face him, hair flying behind her. That was a surprise. One point to Sarah for stealth. Jareth didn't seem surprised though. He pushed away from the wall where he had been standing and walked slowly toward Sarah. Again proving that she had a keen sense of self-preservation, Sarah started backing up. But that only works on guys who have a healthy respect for a girl's personal bubble, and who are not magically tied to their surroundings.   
  
Jareth gestured and the walls of the Labyrinth rearranged themselves instantly; and they finished in a dead end. Sarah took one more step back and bumped into a glittering wall. Jareth caged her in, putting one arm on each side of her head.   
  
"Jareth, I refuse to be treated like a child."  
  
"When you look and act like an adult, I will treat you as one. Drop the glamour, Sarah."  
  
"No."   
  
Even I had to admit that she was acting a bit childish. Mulish expression, arms crossed over her chest. But glass houses and what not; I act childish whenever possible.   
  
"Why not?" Jareth whispered, his face very close to hers. "This is not who you are anymore. This...costume...no longer becomes you."  
  
"I like it."  
  
"Do you really? When there are so many...benefits to looking like yourself?"  
  
"This is me!"  
  
"No. This was you. Now you are..." Jareth trailed off. Sarah's eyes, which had been focused on something in the distance, flew to his face. She waited for him to continue. He didn't.   
  
"What?" she prompted him.   
  
Jareth bent his arms, which brought him ever closer to Sarah's face.   
  
"Mine," he said, and the possession in that word was astounding.   
  
Sarah's lips parted slightly, and she sighed, a soft and slightly defeated sound. A golden mist gathered at her feet and spiraled upward to encase her body. It faded from the ground up, revealing a deep green silk gown with golden embroidery on the hem and sleeves. When the mist was gone, Sarah wasn't Sarah anymore. This Sarah was taller, her hair was elaborately styled, her face was older. The change impressed me, and it seemed to satisfy Jareth. He stepped back and surveyed the change.  
  
"Much better."  
  
"I'm delighted that you approve," Sarah bit out. Couldn't blame her.   
  
"I approve of nearly everything about you," Jareth said.   
  
Now, I'm not sure if being in the Labyrinth had improved my eyesight, or if the crystal was magnifying my 20/20 vision or what, but I saw every facial expression, every muscle twitch. Sarah was looking for a way out, and she made a break for it.   
  
She didn't get very far.   
  
Jareth grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to face him. She turned right into his arms, and those arms were quickly around her waist. And then his lips were on hers, and both of them had their eyes closed, and...okay, I wasn't going to watch this. It was way too personal. So I closed my eyes to give them a little privacy.   
  
"Tell me when they're done, huh?"  
  
//Of course.//  
  
I kept my eyes closed for several minutes.   
  
"Are they still going at it?"  
  
//Indeed.//  
  
I opened my eyes. Several minutes was the limit of my patience. Besides, my legs had gone to sleep. Sarah had her arms wrapped around Jareth's neck, and they were kissing as though they were the last, or only, two people in the universe.   
  
It was Sarah who came to her senses. Though why she'd want to is anyone's guess. But she was the one who broke away, leaving Jareth standing in a very self-satisfied manner.   
  
"They are my nieces and nephew as well, Sarah. Do you think I would let harm come to them?"  
  
Huh? Come again?  
  
"They are not *your* nieces and nephew! They are mine!"  
  
"Yours by blood, yes. But in your world, marriage is a tie that binds as closely as blood. Is that not so, my love?"  
  
Love? Marriage? Oh man.   
  
Grandma was going to go berserk if she ever found out about this one.   
  
Sarah was standing against the wall, obviously angry. But there wasn't much she could say. He had spoken the truth. She pushed away from the wall, intent on stalking past him, but Jareth was obviously having none of that sulking pouty nonsense. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him.   
  
"Come home, Sarah. No harm will come to Zane. Zena is at the castle now. Do you not wish to spend time with your niece before she is rescued?"  
  
Sarah closed her eyes. "You aren't playing fair."  
  
Jareth chuckled low, and buried his face in her hair. "When have I ever played fair?"  
  
"And Zora?"  
  
"Zora, my love, is a mystery. But she will handle herself beautifully, I've no doubt. Now, come home. The children need you. Zena needs you. I need you..." that last part was said in a scorching and unmistakable way. I couldn't help it. I blushed.   
  
//Make yourself known before this gets too embarrassing.//  
  
"What about this wasn't embarrassing?"  
  
//You were watching the whole time.//  
  
"I am not a voyeur!"  
  
//No you aren't. I put you here so that you could receive answers and information. But you have all that can be gained from this wall. Now you need to ask them personally.//  
  
"So now is the time to take on the Goblin King?"  
  
//The Goblin King and his Queen.//  
  
"Goody."  
  
And I was airborne. Flying toward the ground before I had a chance to sort through all I had heard. But gravity has only one law, and apparently it applied to humans throughout all dimensions. And so I fell, flat on my back, at Jareth and Sarah's feet.   
  
It didn't really hurt, which was a good thing. That disembodied voice had pushed me, and it would have been unsporting to hurt me in the bargain. But the result was the same. Physically hurt or not, I was in one hell of a situation. Sarah and Jareth both stared down at me. I wasn't certain whether I was more embarrassed, more annoyed, or more entertained.   
  
I opted for entertained.   
  
"My dad is going to go ape-shit when he finds out you married the Goblin King." 


	6. The Old That Is Strong

Well, I am falling all sorts of behind on my fan-fiction. It is really a bit sad. But the end of the school year is approaching, and there stretches before me a long period where writing will hopefully abound. I hope. Enjoy!   
  
  
Devil's Rain  
By Lyra Matsuoka  
Rated PG-13  
  
Chapter 6 : The Old That Is Strong  
  
Okay, that had come out a little more hysterical than I had planned, but a person can't have everything. Sarah and Jareth were still staring at me, and I didn't blame them. I stared back for a few seconds before deciding that the ground was not the most comfortable place to be, and that, all things being equal, I would much rather be standing.  
  
"I should think the two of you would be used to unexpected guests now." I stood slowly, taking inventory of my body. No pain, so that was good. I didn't even feel light-headed. Good for me. Jareth's arms tightened around Sarah's waist, and she put her hands over his.  
  
"Do you know who I am, Zora?"  
  
Oh for the love. Could this get any more 'Lifetime Movie Of The Week'? I have no idea why adults persist in believing that kids walk around with their fingers in their ears. And what was truly ridiculous was that I was eighteen, a legal adult. However, looking at Jareth, I decided not to press the issue. After all, there was a rather strong chance that he had been around for the original premiere of 'Hamlet'; I certainly wasn't going to ask him and his wife to treat me as an adult.   
  
"That is correct. Johnny, tell her what she's won."  
  
I never said I wouldn't be flippant.   
  
"She knows." Sarah slumped slightly against Jareth, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Jareth held her ever tighter, protecting her, shielding her. It took me a few minutes to figure out that he wasn't protecting her physically so much as emotionally. I resisted the urge to say 'Awwwwww!' in a very girlie way. The temptation was strong, but I resisted. It helped that Jareth was smiling into Sarah's hair. I had amused the Goblin King. That was an ego booster, I can tell you.   
  
"I know that you are my father's half-sister, that you disappeared when you were fifteen, and having realized that the Labyrinth is real, I'm willing to bet my college tuition that I know how you came to be here." At least I hadn't butchered what was obviously a very simple summary of events.   
  
"I wished Toby here. I ran the Labyrinth to get him back. I won, and Jareth sent him back to my father and Karen. It was worth it." Sarah's eyes had grown distant, as though she were remembering something. She was concise; I'd give her that. And that was currently a good thing, as I didn't really want to spend the next few minutes listening to a detailed recounting. Hey, I'd read the book.   
  
"Well, you look great for your age," I commented, taking the time to at least attempt to dust off my jacket. The dry cleaning bill for this little foray into the surreal was going to be a nightmare.  
  
"What?" Sarah seemed taken aback by my words.   
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. If you weren't done with your trip down noble gestures memory lane, do continue." Nothing. Sarah's jaw dropped and Jareth looked as though he were trying not to laugh. Again. Well, I was just a barrel of laughs today. I wondered briefly if I was the butt of this particular joke. "Sorry. But now is not the time to attempt to impress me with your sacrifice. I'm still trying to help my brother dig himself out of his very own hole."   
  
It was rude. And I knew it. But really, who has the time to hear about noble gestures? Not that I wasn't appreciative...As I was brushing off my jeans, I had a thought. I looked up at Sarah rather sharply, causing my hair to fly all over the place. "Wait a second. You *won*? You beat the Labyrinth?"  
  
Hello, my name is Zora Williams, I am a college freshman, and I ask incredibly inane questions to which I all ready know the answer.  
  
"Yes," Sarah said, and there was a great deal of pride in her voice.  
  
"So it is solvable. Good to know," I muttered. Two points for the recovery.   
  
"Naturally it's solvable. I wouldn't cheat," Jareth pointed out.  
  
"Technically, it would only be cheating if you expressly told me that the Labyrinth was solvable, which you never did. Otherwise, it is just withholding information, in which case it would be my fault for not thinking to ask you."  
  
"She has you there, my love," Sarah said, eyes laughing as she looked up at Jareth. He mock growled at her, and started planting kisses on her neck. I shook my head in amusement and started to walk away, noticing that the Goblin King was now nibbling the earlobe of his Queen.  
  
Some girls had all the luck.  
  
So I sighed slightly and kept walking, aware that Jareth and Sarah were paying very little attention to little old me. Not that I was leaving, per sea. I was just moving off to give the loving couple a bit of privacy.   
  
//Aren't you going to ask her why she stayed?//   
  
"About time you showed up. Are you in the habit of flinging people off walls and then disappearing?"  
  
//Yes. Now, answer the question, if you please.//   
  
"Well, it's pretty obvious why you stayed," I said, looking at Jareth. "Uncle J there has quite a few points in his favor."   
  
//Uncle J?// I heard something that could be construed as a chuckle. //You are taking this rather calmly.//  
  
"In the last few hours, I have seen a fairy tale come to life, been dropped into an alternate dimension, been trapped in the mother of all mazes, imprisoned by invisible walls, approached by a disembodied voice and apparently developed some type of magical ability. Not a whole lot would surprise me now."  
  
//Oh, really?//  
  
I realized too late that I had thrown down a gauntlet. And the gauntlet had been removed. That is correct, removed. The cobblestones in front of me vanished, leaving a large black void. And, because I had been doing so well and was getting just a little cocky, I was moving too quickly to stop.   
  
"ZORA!" I heard Sarah cry from behind me. This sucked in the worst imaginable way. Why me? What had I ever done to deserve this? Surely breaking one window with one baseball when I was eight hadn't created enough marks against me for this type of torture. I heard a crystal hit the ground behind me. But it was too little, too late. And as I have mentioned before, in the Labyrinth, gravity works. I pitched forward and plummeted into a black nothing.   
  
Just when I thought that things couldn't get any worse. My life sucks.  
  
//Don't panic.//  
  
"Easy for you to say!" I shouted. I felt like I was falling fast, and I probably was. I reached out to my sides, searching for walls or handholds of any sort. I wondered if my arm would be yanked out of its socket if I actually managed to grab hold of something, but before I had the chance to find out, I started to slow down. Not that I was complaining, but I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. "What is this, The Rabbit Hole?"  
  
Another chuckle. "I am *so* pleased that one of us finds this amusing!" Now that I was floating gently downward, I had the nerve to be angry and sarcastic. I was getting really tired of being thrown off of ledges, down holes to nowhere and yanked into alternate dimensions.   
  
//You have nothing to fear, Zora. I have simply decided that it is time we met.//  
  
"I think it's time someone told you that you have a God Complex," I muttered. "And your décor leaves something to be desired." Had there been anything to look at, I probably wouldn't have focused so greatly on the fact that I was indeed falling toward an unknown destination. It would have been nice to see some paintings, a few tapestries, perhaps some light...  
  
"There had so better be a point to this."  
  
//There is, my dear. There is. Allow me to illustrate.//  
  
I landed rather hard, mainly because I hadn't been expecting to stop that quickly. Don't get me wrong, I was all sorts of glad to be back on solid ground. But I was still in the dark. Literally. That's right, complete black. I had never seen anything like it. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, I didn't have much time to ponder that situation. Light blazed quickly and ruthlessly. I blinked rapidly, mentally cursing the little white dots that flickered in and out of my vision.   
  
And when I got my bearings, I almost wished I hadn't.   
  
I was in a fascinating, and wholly distressing, room. It was huge, and there were weird plants everywhere, and all of the stone was covered in glitter. I take that back. Everything was covered in glitter. The plants, the trees, the floor, the walls, everything. The light seemed to emanate from said glitter, which was why I felt as surrounded by light as I had by darkness only seconds before. There weren't any shadows; it was all about extremes.   
  
I started walking down the room, and saw that paintings were hanging on the walls. Or rather, picture frames were on the walls. The paintings were moving. There was the Fiery Forest, the Bog, the Goblin City. I saw the Gates...and each of the paintings were moving.  
  
The oddest part about these 'paintings' was that they looked a lot more like miniature movies. I mean nothing was happening per say. There weren't any battles being fought, which would have been very entertaining, and I really needed a distraction right then. But there were those biting faeries were flying in and out of the portrait of the Gates. That was mildly amusing.  
  
"Zora."   
  
All right, I am woman enough to admit that I jumped a foot, turned and plastered myself against the wall, all in the span of about five seconds. And why was I behaving in this manner, you may ask? After all, the voice that had spoken had been communicating with me all day. But now, the voice wasn't disembodied. And that, my friends, was scary.   
  
A woman walked to the center of the room. Her dress was long, really long, and sleeveless, but it was form fitting. And let me just say, people pay excellent money for the kind of body this woman had. The dress was the same sandy color as the Labyrinth stone, and glittery as well. Nothing out of the ordinary there; and the fact that she was around eight feet tall...while a bit intimidating, I was willing to go with it. But her eyes caught and held me. Because in her eyes, I could see the twisting and turning of the Labyrinth. Every possible angle of the Labyrinth was reflected in her eyes. When I focused on the irises as a whole, I could see that they were dark brown, with a constantly shifting maze of golden lines running through them.   
  
I wasn't sure whether I should bow or run screaming for the exit. I settled for standing still.   
  
"My lady," I muttered. The woman smiled.   
  
"Then you know me."  
  
I nodded weakly, still unable to grasp what I was seeing.  
  
"Welcome, Zora, to the heart of the Labyrinth." 


	7. The Only Thing Constant Is Change

Hi everyone! It has been a really long time since I updated 'Devil's Rain', and here you have the fruit of my guilt. Interesting motivator, guilt; it is spectacularly effective. In other news, 'Between Dreams and Reality' is actually going to be updated in the near future. I'm going on vacation on Wednesday, but the chapter is so close to being done that I really hope to have it up before noon on Wednesday.   
  
This chapter title brought to you by 'Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical'  
  
Devil's Rain  
By Lyra Matsuoka  
Rated PG-13  
  
Chapter 7 : The Only Thing Constant Is Change  
  
It was rather unnerving to come face to face with a magical force. I might be able to act tough when faced with a Goblin King, and shifting walls and rips in the time-space continuum, but it was something else to stand in front of a magical being so old, and so powerful, that it had watched the world take shape.  
  
Oddly enough, I was petrified.  
  
"You fear me," the woman said, a faint smile visible on her lips. I managed to shake my head.  
  
"Not at all," I stated. My voice cracked in the middle of my brilliant three-word retort, but I figured that if I pretended not to notice, she would be too polite to bring it up.  
  
"Your voice betrays you."  
  
So much for that idea - the rules of polite society were always changing.   
  
"You know of me. I have seen it in your mind."  
  
I didn't see any point in trying to deny it. If she was reading my mind - and I suspected she was - then she would know I was lying anyway. And the last thing I want to do was piss her off. I figured that a being powerful enough to reach through dimensions to contact me and work her magic through me was probably strong enough to squash me like a bug if her muse moved her to do so. So I opened my mouth to respond when she moved off down a hallway that had appeared to my right. And I followed her. Hey, what worked for the major light source in the room worked for me; I didn't have a burning desire to learn if this woman had a fetish for nocturnal, flesh eating pets.  
  
"So you have found your way to the Labyrinth. You have managed to successfully navigate more than half of it, and you have encountered the Goblin King and his Queen. But there is much you do not know, and it is my duty to impart my knowledge to you."  
  
The hallway opened up into a room, larger than the one we had left. She reached the room first, as the hallway hadn't been large enough to hold two across and I had been walking a step behind her. I noticed that the paintings here were stills of the Labyrinth. That was slightly comforting; at least nothing was moving. In the center of room stood a raised circular platform, and on this platform was a rather intimidating stone chair. A very large crystal ball stood to the right of this chair, and a mirror stood to the left. The woman swept herself into this chair, arranging her skirts.  
  
"I am Orenda, a creation of the Labyrinth and its power. I am the guardian of the magic that allows the Labyrinth to grow and thrive."  
  
"Nice. Does that job title come with medical and dental?" I asked. When you have a smart aleck comment, make it while it's still pertinent. Lessons for life, children.   
  
Orenda looked at me, and her lips twisted into a faint smile as she continued. I wasn't sure if I should be offended that she hadn't responded to my wit.   
  
"As you may have surmised, you are not the first member of your family to pass through the Labyrinth. For several centuries, the women of your family have been drawn to the energy of this place, subject to a series of tests."  
  
"Every generation in my family has been here? God, what am I related to, a bunch of slow learners?"   
  
Orenda laughed. "It is not so much a matter of knowledge, but of superstition, fear, the battle for sanity and tradition. The first in your family to visit the Labyrinth feared the witch-hunts and knew that if she spoke of her experience she would be tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. She did not speak of it to her children, and when her daughter experienced the Labyrinth for herself, she never mentioned it for fear of being declared insane. So it has always been."  
  
"I sympathize."  
  
"Do you? You, Zora, are very different from many members of your family. You believe in those things that can be seen, and those that lurk just outside your realm of consciousness. Your great- grandmother Lucinda sensed that there were other worlds, and other creatures to be discovered, but she refused to acknowledge the call of her blood. Lucinda did not believe in fantastical creatures, but she made the mistake of repeating a single phrase that her mother had read to her when she was a child. She wished her sister away, and was forced to run through the Labyrinth."  
  
Orenda stopped. Not paused, not stopped to take a breath or swallow some water, but stopped dead. And right in the middle of her story too. I hate that. I waited for a moment, and then blinked at her. This did not achieve any kind of result, so I spread my hands and tapped them together once.   
  
"Did she win?"  
  
"Does it matter?"  
  
"Is that a really polite way of telling me to mind my own business?"  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
"I'm so glad we got that cleared up," I drawled, and Orenda laughed. Finally, she continued.   
  
"She did succeed. But when she returned from the Labyrinth, she had changed. You see, in her sojourn here, Lucinda had stumbled upon a great secret, one that not even the Goblin King was aware of. Lucinda had done a great favor for one of the history keepers of the Labyrinth, and in gratitude, he imparted to Lucinda the purpose of her visit, and the destiny of her children and her children's children."  
  
This was starting to sound suspiciously like a quest or an inescapable destiny of some sort. I was waiting for Darth Vader to step out of the shadows and declare that he was my father, thereby altering the very fabric of my existence.   
  
"Lucinda was returned Aboveground with her sister, and eventually she married and began a life for herself. She became pregnant, and her first child was male. Everything was going according to the fabric that Destiny had woven. But Lucinda accomplished something that very few have managed. She changed the fate of her descendants."  
  
Dramatic pause. I blinked and shook my head. "It could just be a side effect of being sucked into another dimension, pushed about by magical forces and tossed down a hole, but I think you lost me back there."  
  
"Patience. Since the first moment that the Labyrinth sprang from the magic of the Underground, there have been whispers of a single mortal woman who would serve as a catalyst for the power that the Labyrinth contains. This is what the history keeper told Lucinda. He also told her that she was not this woman, but that one of her direct descendants would be. Lucinda was determined that none of her descendants would be forced to endure this maze, and so she gave birth to one child only.  
  
This discovery sent ripples through the Underground. Lucinda had no female children, and so the power that ran in her blood could not continue through a direct female line. When her son married, the Underground held its breath until your half-aunt, Sarah Williams, was born. It was anticipated that she would be the one we sought, as the circumstances of her birth set her apart from her ancestors, but the Goblin King himself interfered."   
  
Orenda slapped her hand on the stone arm of her chair, and I jumped at the sharp sound the impact made. I was fairly certain she had a point, and I was willing to bet that she was going to make it fairly soon.  
  
"Through no fault of his own, he fell in love with Sarah, and persuaded her to stay in the Labyrinth to rule the goblins by his side. You see, Jareth is a Fae, and as the Goblin King, is often invited to functions of the Faerie Court. The goblins are a powerful magical race, and one not to be underestimated. Their power has been growing at a slightly suspicious rate, their numbers increasing rapidly. The Goblin City has now spread to cover a much larger area than it originally occupied, and the Labyrinth has been expanding to accommodate that."  
  
"Hold on. Instant replay that. You're telling me that the Labyrinth is growing?"  
  
"Correct."  
  
"And that the goblins are having lots more goblin babies?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Okay. I understand all that. Now tell me how all this applies to me. And not that this little foray down Heritage Lane isn't fascinating, but I'd really appreciate it if you would explain quickly because, as you may recall, I have a rather pressing deadline to meet."   
  
Orenda frowned slightly. "The growth of the goblins and the rapid growth of the Labyrinth are directly linked. The Labyrinth is expanding to accommodate all the power that flows into it. And for reasons that cannot be explained, that flow of power has dramatically increased in the last few mortal years. The Labyrinth has been home to the goblins since the first goblin came into being. Over the centuries it has become a haven for those things that are strange and unusual, even for the Underground. As such, the strength of the creatures that make their home in the Labyrinth is directly related to the strength of the Labyrinth itself."  
  
I nodded slowly, resisting the urge to ask if there was going to be a test on this information at a later date.   
  
"Like many other rulers, Jareth has absorbed the powers of his people, and has grown strong in the disciplines of crystal magic and illusion. Since Sarah came to the Goblin City, his powers have increased. But the Labyrinth has never fed his magic."  
  
I nodded again. I understood all this, but it seemed slightly surreal. I knew what I was waiting for. I was waiting for some cosmic axe to fall.   
  
"Surely you know that the Labyrinth is a very powerful magical entity. It is alive, but it is incapable of communication with other members of the Underground. Jareth has come close; he has found a way to speak *to* the Labyrinth, to request that the Labyrinth spread in certain directions and lead certain places. But the Labyrinth cannot carry on a conversation with Jareth. The Labyrinth is very isolated."  
  
"But you're here. You're speaking to me, and I'm...well, I'm listening, but occasionally I insert a few syllables. Since you are a Knight of the Labyrinth or whatever, why can't you be an emissary for the Labyrinth?" I thought this was a reasonable question, and as I was feeling more and more like I was being backed into a corner, all bets were off.   
  
"I am the protector of the Labyrinth. I guard its magic from the outside world. But I am a temporary measure. When the Labyrinth has a ruler of its own, it will have no need to store the large amount of power that it has been keeping safe, and I will be absorbed back into the Labyrinth."  
  
"You're telling me," I interrupted, aware that I was being rude, "that the Labyrinth is not only alive, but that it's some sort of magical Tupperware?"  
  
Orenda blinked a few times. "I am unfamiliar with that term, but the Labyrinth is a storage area for all the extra magic that flows through the Underground. The Labyrinth is like a crystal. It is the perfect place to send extra magic that wreaks havoc with other Underground Kingdoms. The rulers of those kingdoms have always sent troublesome things to the Labyrinth, why no pesky magic? And the Labyrinth is unconditionally accepting of everything that enters its gates."  
  
"What happened to all that extra magic?" I felt compelled to ask. "If Jareth can't tap into it, and none of the other things in the Labyrinth can either, then wouldn't all those different magic's rattling around together create a rather large problem? Something along the lines of, I don't know, Armageddon?"  
  
"Not if the Labyrinth collected and refined those magic's until they were a single mass of unified energy. And now there is too much of that energy, too much extra magic. The power must be redistributed throughout the Underground."  
  
"Nice," I started looking around for an exit. I was fed up with this mystic mumbo-jumbo about destiny and magic and catalysts. "I hope you find this 'Chosen One', though that sounds like something straight out of 'The Matrix' so you might want to find a different phrase, and I hope that your absorption into the Labyrinth is quick and painless. Thank you for the story, it's been enlightening. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to find my brother and sister, so why don't you point out the Exit. Or will it be marked with a glowing green sign?"  
  
Orenda stood slowly, looking at me with those very disturbing eyes. The golden lines shifted suddenly, and the crystal ball beside her flared to life. I saw Zane, running through the Goblin City toward the castle, and glimpsed a clock. I had one hour left.   
  
"We miscalculated, Zora. The power shifted to the direct *male* line for two generations. Sarah's power came from her mother. But your powers, Zora, come from your *father*. It was not only the circumstances of the birth that had to be different, but also the conditions of her arrival in the Labyrinth. You did not wish your sister away, but you arrived in the Labyrinth all the same. You were brought here not to save your sister, but to find the heart of the Labyrinth and discover your destiny."  
  
Suddenly I had a memory flash. It was quick and in black and white, but I remembered when the disembodied voice had first spoken to me. It had been in my living room, just before Zane and I were snapped into the Labyrinth.  
  
"*You* brought me here!" I accused, loosing my grip on my emotions. But no matter how angry I got, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the crystal.   
  
"I whispered to you what needed doing. But you would have done it without my help."  
  
I wanted to jerk my eyes from the crystal and tell this very tall psycho that she was crazy and needed to be locked up for her own safety. But the view in the crystal was changing. I couldn't see the Goblin City anymore. Instead I saw the Labyrinth, stretching out to all sides of the city. I saw the plants, stone-walls, and the magical creatures that flourished here. I closed my eyes and shook my head. I felt Orenda's hands on my arms, turning me 180 degrees. When I opened my eyes again I was facing the mirror, and I was shocked by what I saw.  
  
I didn't look like the same person. I knew it was me because the girl in the mirror was wearing my clothing, and I have issues with other people wearing my clothing. And this girl had shoulder length brown hair and she certainly was tall. But her - *my* - clothing was covered with glitter; doubtless from all the falling down I had managed. It was truly a miracle that I hadn't broken my neck. There was a sort of golden shimmer in my hair and it was shifting, not with the light but on its own. I leaned closer to the mirror, stunned by my new and improved appearance. The gold lines that were shifting in my hair were soft, with curves and gentle twists. But my eyes were another story.  
  
My ordinary, humdrum, run-of-the-mill blue eyes weren't quite so ordinary any longer. I realized that in a matter of seconds. Because of all the eyes I have ever seen, none of them had sharp cornered, perpetually shifting lines in the irises.  
  
"You have changed, Zora. All ready the Labyrinth lives inside you. You are a part of it now. You hear it calling to you."   
  
"My parents," I whispered, watching the golden lines shift, "are going to kill me." 


	8. Now For Something Completely Different

Hi all. Here is the next installment of Devil's Rain, which should be all sorts of fun. It's a little on the longish side, more because I had trouble finishing the chapter than anything else. Have fun, party on and what not!  
  
AN: Chapter title brought to you by Monty Python. Wintercreek, I know you can find the reference. You're the best, girl!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing, I say! NOTHING!!!   
  
Devil's Rain  
By Lyra Matsuoka  
Chapter 8 : Now For Something Completely Different  
  
Have you ever felt that the Fates themselves were against you? More than that, that they were watching you with glee, kicking your life around like a soccer ball and talking about silly mortals and pondering other obstacles to throw at you to make your life a living hell?  
  
I was there. Actually, I was more inclined to think that the Fates had lost control of the ball of yarn that represented my life and were in the process of chasing it down the cosmic stairwell.   
  
I shook my head slowly, reaching a hand toward my eyes before realizing that it might hurt if I jabbed a finger into my cornea - I have blinding moments of rational thought upon occasion. That didn't stop me from staring. The lines were shifting quickly and easily, always at ninety-degree angles and always connected. 'Sometimes I hate my life,' I thought as I watched the lines shift around in a lazy pattern.   
  
"Okay. Great. Fabulous. So, what does this mean?"  
  
"You are the Chosen One," Orenda said. That phrase was getting rather boring. At least, I was tired of it. And when I get tired of something, I get a little snide. I know, surprising but true.  
  
"Excellent. Well done me. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to save my brother and sister. Then I am going to go home, have a nice stiff drink, go to bed and forget that any of this ever happened." I glanced back at the mirror and saw the soft gold lines shifting in my hair. "Make that two drinks and a pint of Ben & Jerry's."   
  
I looked around the room, feeling certain that there was an exit of some sort somewhere around. But no. No exits for me. That would make things *easy*. And things should never, ever be easy.   
  
"You realize, of course, that if the Fire Marshal shows up for a surprise inspection, this whole place will be shut down. Not a single fire exit."  
  
Orenda smiled cryptically and, while I'm not terribly proud of this, I lost my patience. On the spur of the moment I decided that I was tired of being jerked around by various magical beings. I grabbed the crystal and peered into it. The miniature movie was playing again, and I watched Zane enter the Goblin Castle. I smiled sweetly at Orenda.   
  
"So I'm the Chosen One, am I? So I can tap into all the magic of the Labyrinth, can I? Fine." I glared at the crystal, allowing my anger and frustration to boil to the surface. I saw Orenda's eyes widen and watched her take a step backwards. She was scared. Good. "Take me to my brother Zane...RIGHT NOW!" As I finished that sentence I threw the crystal at the ground with all of my might. The glass shattered, which was surprising, and I watched it for a moment before looking up at Orenda. I must admit, I was slightly disappointed - now I had no crystal and I was no closer to getting out of this room than I had been before. Of course, since Orenda claimed to be the source behind the crystal's magic, that wasn't such a shock.   
  
"Does the fact that I'm still here put a damper on your theory at all?" I managed to drawl just before I disappeared. The crystal shards swirled up around me, creating a glassy spiral that glittered and shone as it twisted around my body, and the next thing I knew I was flying through the air for the fourth time in twelve and a half hours. The fact that I was neither surprised nor concerned by this phenomenon was rather disturbing, but as I was getting fairly good at falling in this manner I noticed a split second before impact that I was falling toward another person. And in that second I had time for one thought.  
  
'Looks like Orenda was right.'  
  
And SMACK, I landed on top of my brother Zane and both of us tumbled to the floor. It took thirty seconds for the swearing to begin, and thirty seconds more for either of us to move. I was the first to stir, though that had more to do with the fact that I was lying on Zane's legs than anything else. In the process of rising to my knees I uttered a few more choice phrases, most of which were unfit for public consumption and do not bear repeating. To be honest, I'm not sure I remember the exact combination of words, which is a pity. They were rather colorful.   
  
But I had nothing on Zane. After we had turned the air blue with our repertoire of vile language and made a rather impressive list of things that it would be physically impossible for the Goblin King and his minions to accomplish, Zane and I started working on something constructive...standing up. Having established that the pain in my limbs was just too extreme, I decided to remain prone. Zane made a similar choice, and so the two of us just lay there for a few minutes,   
  
"Hey, Zora."  
  
"Hi, Zane."  
  
Pause.  
  
"Anything broken."  
  
"Nope. You?"  
  
"Nah. That was some swan dive from the ceiling."  
  
"One tries one's best."  
  
Pause.  
  
"Think we should keep going?"  
  
"I really do."  
  
And that was all the incentive required to get us moving again. Zane did a double take when he saw my hair, and a triple take at the eyes.  
  
"One word, and Mom and Dad will have to mop you up with a sponge."   
  
"I didn't say a thing."  
  
"I know that tone of face. Not a word."  
  
"Have it your way. Which way, Einstein?"  
  
"Oh, aren't you cute with your sarcastic and redundant self."  
  
I'm telling you, sarcasm has its own place in the genetic code.   
  
We had come to a fork in the hall, and my brother and I stood staring at the two paths blankly. I began to consider the logistics of each hallway when I remembered something, and decided to test out these newfound powers. Maybe it had been a fluke, but if not Zane and I had a much greater chance of getting to my sister in time. Which was good for Zane because he wouldn't have to explain to Mom and Dad why out youngest sister was a permanent resident of the Underground and good for me because I could get the hell out of Dodge and forget that any of this ever happened.   
  
"Take us to my sister, if you please," I asked politely. I had a very vague thought that if I asked instead of demanding, Zane and I might be set down gently instead of being dropped from the ceiling. To be frank, I was getting rather tired of falling. And of landing abruptly on hard surfaces.   
  
Zane looked at me carefully and with equal amounts of concern and skepticism. It appeared that he was trying to decide whether or not I should be helped to a chair or taken seriously. Of course, I couldn't really blame him...to his point of view it must have appeared that I was talking either to a wall, a torch or empty air. I took advantage of that surprise and grabbed his wrist, thinking as I did so that this must be how most sane folk look at crazy people. Hell, I thought I was crazy. Of course, I had always been of the opinion that those individuals who considered themselves to be insane were probably very competent and that it was those persons who firmly believed that the rest of the world was nuts that should be locked away for a long period of time.   
  
Moving on.  
  
Zane was currently contemplating various ways that he could deal with me. I could see that he was torn between smacking me upside the head and taking my gently by the wrist and speaking in soothing tones. I beat him to the punch and grabbed his wrist.   
  
And we disappeared. I think we left a little glitter behind, but I can't be sure. This time, Zane and I transferred gently and with very little pain. That was a comfort. It was good to know that while I had the opportunity to experiences jolting pain, I also had the ability to move delicately through time and space. And the best part was, I hadn't been angry or frantic or frustrated or anything. I had decided that I wanted to be somewhere and had just made it happen.   
  
Deep inside my soul, I felt something click into place. I felt a crystalline stream washing through me, spreading from the center of my body toward my mind, feet and arms. I felt a power swelling within me. And I smiled.   
  
There's nothing like knowing that you're a match for the Goblin King.  
  
Zane and I appeared in a bright and cheery room. It was painted, I kid you not, the bright yellow sunshine color that I had seen parents giggle and coo over the summer I worked at Sherwin Williams. The furniture was big and fluffy and there were toys everywhere. Zane and I blinked. And blinked again. And again.   
  
"I don't think I can take much more of this," Zane commented. I nodded in agreement. I wasn't sure whether he meant the magic, the apperating or the surprises, but I agreed no matter what. Well, I was a little psyched about materializing wherever I wanted whenever I felt like doing so...but otherwise I agreed. Seeing a room this normal after all the time we had spent in the Labyrinth was surreal.   
  
"ZORA!"  
  
I would like to take this moment to say that Zena attacked my knees. She doesn't reach much higher than that, so when she rushed me she grabbed onto my knees, thereby effectively attacking my center of gravity. And she hit with a great deal of momentum. So the fact that I fell backwards without any pretension of grace is not my fault.   
  
"Hi there munchkin. How're things?" I gasped out as Zena scrambled to lock her arms around my neck.   
  
"This place is neat. I like it. There are lots of toys and Merry is really nice. Jerrick likes to set things on fire, and he doesn't have to use matches," my sister confided, crawling into my lap. I shot a look at Zane, who grabbed Zena and held her away from the four children who stood in a semicircle around us.   
  
"That's Jerrick," Zena said, pointing at a boy who must have been fifteen or sixteen. His blond hair was short and spiky and his mismatched eyes were glaring at us. "He lights things on fire and he's been watching that mirror the whole time. He thinks you're funny, Zane."   
  
My brother's mouth tightened at that. Jerrick's glare focused on Zane alone and I saw the two of them take a deep breath in unison. I was reminded of male deer during mating season. Hmm.   
  
"That's Deliah," Zena continued, pointing out an eleven year old with long dark hair and green eyes. She was wearing breeches and shirt-vest ensemble very similar to her brothers and looked just as unhappy to see us.   
  
"That's Merry!" Zena whispered and the seven year old with dark blond hair and a rose colored dress took a whole step towards us before her sister yanked her back.   
  
"That's Asher," Zena said, indicating the brunette boy with a wooden sword and hazel eyes. I glanced at Zane and rolled my eyes when I saw him glaring at Jerrick. Wonderful. I reached out my arms for Zena and wasn't surprised when Zane relinquished her quickly.   
  
"Did you have a good time?" I asked Zena, trying not to let my worry show.  
  
"Of course she had a good time," Jerrick drawled, looking more like his daddy than I was entirely comfortable with.   
  
"He walks and talks, just like a real live boy," my brother muttered.   
  
"Did you think we were going to hurt her?" Jerrick bit out. Evidently he had not been trained in the fine art of the comeback.   
  
"Startling though it may be, the thought had crossed our minds," Zane retorted.   
  
"She's been here the whole time. She's had a marvelous time playing and she's eaten more cookies than I would have thought possible."  
  
"Aren't you a little old to be playing with dolls?" Zane said in response, grinning at the toys scattered around our feet before returning his eyes to Jerrick. I could almost see the steam flowing out of Jerrick's ears. I decided that it was time to diffuse this situation. Besides, I was really tired of dealing with the people of the Labyrinth.   
  
"Would it be possible for me to speak with your parents?" I asked Deliah. She bestowed a withering look upon me. I didn't feel intimidated, but it was obvious the girl was trying her best. Okay, no answers from that corner. Fine then. I was sensing that these kids had an inferiority complex the size of the known world, and that made me a little cranky. After all, we were cousins. So I saw no reason for Zane and Jerrick to begin an insult match in front of the little ones. There are times when those of us who are, in theory, old enough to know better must set an example.   
  
This was obviously not going to be one of those times.   
  
"Hey, kiddo," I whispered. Asher and Merry both tore their eyes away from the raging argument and looked at me. "Do you know how I could get in touch with your daddy?"  
  
Asher nodded and pointed at the mirror. "Just ask the mirror." The child turned his eyes back toward Jerrick and Zane. "If they don't stop yelling they'll wake up the twins." He then went back to studying his sword. I was starting to like that kid. I left Zena with Merry and walked toward the mirror. I was hoping to get there without being seen, but Deliah noticed me striding toward the gilt frame and sounded the alarm. Why she felt that was necessary I have no idea. I must have pissed her off in a previous life. Or maybe the Fates were still having a rip roaring good time at my expense.   
  
I ran for the mirror and skidded to a halt in front of it.  
  
"Can the Goblin King come out to play? I promise I'll have him home by midnight," I said with a smile just before Deliah tackled me.   
  
'What have I done to deserve this? What, I ask you, could I possibly have done to anger you so greatly that I *deserve* this?' I asked the Fates themselves as my body headed for the ground with 100 pounds of Goblin Princess on my back.   
  
I hit the ground with a thud and spent the next thirty seconds attempting to throw Deliah off of me, which I finally accomplished. She didn't stay off for long, but by the time she threw herself at me again, I was braced for the attack. I noticed very quickly that Deliah fought using her body weight and the element of surprise; I winced as she changed tactics and grabbed hold of my arm and dug her nails into it. I threw her over my shoulder again - I like to stick to tried and true methods of wrestling. Besides, all bets were off.   
  
"Don't touch my sister, mortal!" Jerrick snarled at me, grabbing my arm. Zane just threw a punch. He wasn't very graceful, but then, who am I to throw stones. It became very clear to me that not only was Jerrick prepared for this kind of an attack, but that he had most likely grabbed me only to goad Zane into an attack. I was worried for the 3.2 seconds it took for Deliah to launch herself at me again and it took me a good twenty to throw her off me and into the tangle of limbs that my brother and the Crown Prince of the Goblins had become.   
  
How it was possible for a verbal disagreement to morph into a physical  
battle in the span of two minutes, I may never understand.   
  
I think it was right about then that I heard cheers and screaming. I realized quickly that Merry and Zena were cheering their siblings on and that the crying was coming from an adjoining room. That established, I looked around for the easiest way to stop the fight.   
  
I've always been told that if you wee two cats fighting, you should throw water on them. And since I couldn't think of anything better to do...  
  
I saw Asher sitting on the floor. "Where's the bathroom?" Asher pointed, his eyes wide at the sight of his oh-so-dignified older brother wrestling and punching on the nursery floor. I walked slowly into the bathroom, deciding to let the boys have a little fun, and admired the fixtures as I filled a convenient bowl with water from an equally convenient pitcher and then refilled the pitcher from a little fountain that spilled out of the wall and into a well of sorts. Yikes - I hoped that the Goblin King had some kind of safeguards in place to ensure that his children didn't turn into ungrateful wretches. I walked back toward the fight, still moving with ease, taking care not to spill any water. I watched the fight from a good distance away, handing the pitcher to Asher and wincing as Zane landed a fairly decent blow to the Goblin Prince's jaw. That was going to leave a mark.   
  
"They're pretty good at that, aren't they?" I observed. Asher nodded.   
  
"My sister passed out," he whispered, pointing at Deliah.   
  
"Nah. She's just waiting for the appropriate time to stand up."  
  
Asher nodded solemnly and looked at the bowl in my hands and the pitcher in his own. "What're we going to do with these?"   
  
The temptation to let the fight go on for a little longer was so strong that it was almost a compulsion. After all, Zane was certainly justified in his feelings of anger, and I certainly didn't want him taking those feelings out on *me*. But I looked down at Asher, and then toward Merry and Zena and became concerned that this violent episode might be scarring them for life. I sighed.   
  
"Watch and learn, sweetie."  
  
Without further ado, I threw the bowlful of water over my brother and Jerrick. I must have unintentionally added a twist of my new power, because I swear that no bowl I'd ever seen could hold that much water. I liken the effect to a garden hose at full strength. The result was satisfactory - the two boys sprang apart, sputtering and glaring. That is, first they glared at me and then at each other. I relieved Asher of the pitcher and walked over to Deliah. I stood over her and poured the entire pitcher of water over her with no small amount of pleasure. Hey, my shoulder and arm were throbbing painfully, and I hadn't done anything to her. Deliah came around quickly (a little too quickly if you ask me, which of course no one ever does...) and looked up at me, murder in her eyes. I smiled serenely.   
  
"Don't come to an axe fight barehanded, princess."   
  
I turned back to my brother and the Goblin Prince.   
  
"Was there something that the two of you hoped to accomplish with that little wrestling match?" I asked, well aware that I sounded like my mother. Zane rolled his eyes and so did Jerrick. I half expected them to exchange a glance of male commiseration. Instead they resumed glaring at each other. I sighed and turned to Asher.  
  
"I don't suppose *you* know why your brother hates mine with a vibrant and undying passion?"  
  
"He..." Asher squeaked and scurried behind my legs as Jerrick leveled his glare at the boy. I raised one eyebrow. Silence stretched long and painful, and an unexpected person broke it.   
  
"Jerrick is angry that your brother is here. He doesn't like thinking that there is another person in the Labyrinth with more power than Papa," Deliah sighed, walking past me. I almost laughed aloud, and Zane was staring at Deliah with incredulity.  
  
"Power? Like hocus pocus mumbo jumbo? Right," Zane said, sarcasm heavy in his tone. Jerrick watched him carefully.   
  
"Ever since you arrived there have been great fluctuations in the power of the Labyrinth. The extra magic that has been stored in the maze is draining away...flowing into some other vessel. The prophecy is being fulfilled and *you* are the only one who could possibly fulfill it," Jerrick said, standing slowly.   
  
"You are stark raving crazy," Zane said, and I shook my head at his hodge-podge phrasing.   
  
"Let me make sure that I understand. You think that my brother is gathering the power of the Labyrinth for his own personal use?"  
  
"Correct."  
  
"And what is he supposed to do with this magic? Plan a major strike against the Goblin City, overthrow your parents and move on to the rest of the Underground?"  
  
Jerrick did not appreciate my humor. I thought the whole situation was hilarious. The Goblin Prince thought that my *brother* was causing his daddy problems. My brother was soaking wet and his eye was beginning to swell and turn a lovely shade of blue purple. The Goblin Princess had retrieved a towel from the bathroom and was rotating her shoulder around. And the sheer insanity of this situation struck me all at once.   
  
I burst out laughing.   
  
It felt so good to release all the tension in my body in such a productive way. I laughed for a little while and managed to get myself under control before the children began edging away from me. And once I could speak without giggling, I looked at Jerrick again, a smile on my face.   
  
"You are so far behind the times that I cannot help but be amused."  
  
"Zane, Mommy says we're not supposed to hit," I heard Zena say sagely, as if she were imparting a piece of great wisdom. In a way, I suppose she was. After all, violence solves nothing. I knelt and hugged Zena, so glad to have her back that words almost failed me. Zena turned in my arms and wrapped her own arms around my neck, returning the hug with equal force. Zane got up from the floor and hovered over us and I pulled him into the hug wet clothing and all. Hey, family is family. And this was the time for a family moment if ever there was one.   
  
"Zane, you're all wet," Zena commented, wrinkling her nose in disgust. I snickered and Zane snorted. I fell back to the floor, laughing, and felt a feather light touch on my hair. I jerked back, startled; I had forgotten that there were other people in the room.   
  
Asher stood behind me, his eyes on my hair. Walking closer, he peered into my eyes and I watched his own eyes widen with shock. Jerrick noted the reaction as well and strode forward, hunkering down to look at my eyes. Not look in, look *at*. It was disconcerting and I got a little annoyed.   
  
"Let's play the game where that stops," I said. Jerrick jerked lightly at my words and rose with a fluid grace that I envied.   
  
"Not your brother at all. *You* are the one."  
  
I rolled my eyes. 'Here we go again.'  
  
"I have no idea what you are talking about. My eyes have taken a turn for the unusual and my hair now has built in highlights. Happens all the time. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to take my brother and my sister and go home."  
  
"Go home?" Jerrick said slowly, cocking his head to the side.   
  
"Yeah. Home. To our house and our parents. If you feel like sending us, now is good for me. How about you two?"   
  
"Now works for me," Zane said.   
  
"Say goodbye, Zena," I prompted.  
  
"Goodbye, Zena," Zena repeated obediently, staring straight at me. A chip off the old block, I tell you. I grinned and ruffled her hair.   
  
"Let's get this show on the road," I quipped, looking straight at Jerrick. We were in the middle of a staring contest, though I wasn't entirely sure why, when the sound of bells rang through the room.  
  
"Mommy!" Merry trilled, looking around expectantly. Zane looked at the kids and closed his eyes as trumpets sounded closely behind the bells.   
  
"Daddy," Asher said calmly. I nodded. Naturally it was the Goblin King and Queen. This would be just like a family reunion. I couldn't wait. I straightened, pulled Zena closer to my body and cocked my head to one side.   
  
Bring it on. 


	9. Two Worlds, One Family

And I'm back once more with a brand new update for 'Devil's Rain'. Don't forget to review, whether you liked it or hated it. I want to hear from you!  
  
Disclaimer: Chapter title brought to you by Phil Collins and Walt Disney. Labyrinth brought to you courtesy of Jim Henson. Rah rah rah.   
  
//...// = telepathy   
/*/.../*/ = voice of the Labyrinth  
  
Devil's Rain  
By Lyra Matsuoka  
Chapter 9 : Two Worlds, One Family  
  
The Goblin King and Queen appeared in the nursery with no small amount of flourish. Swirls of glitter that vanished neatly before hitting the ground danced in front of my eyes, and I blinked several times. Merry ran forward with a squeal of delight and was scooped up by her father. Asher walked over slowly and stood by his parents. Sarah walked toward the adjoining room quickly, and though I could have told her that the crying had stopped some time ago I didn't want to put a damper on her motherly instincts. Besides, Deliah was chasing after her, and I was certain that the eldest Goblin Princess would straighten her mother out. Zane groaned at the sight of Jareth and shook his wet hair, spraying Zena and me with a decent amount of water. This earned him a glare from the both of us.   
  
"Find a towel, for heaven's sake," I admonished him. Zane glared at me.   
  
"No chance. There is absolutely no way that I am leaving the two of you alone with these crazy fairy folk while I go looking for a towel. I lost you both once, and I'm not losing you again."  
  
I actually got a little teary at that. My sixteen-year-old brother who had often professed an extreme dislike of my personality refused to leave me alone to face the badies. Comforting, that was. Zane must have noticed the tears as Zena and I found ourselves engulfed in another damp embrace. And this time, Zena didn't say a word.   
  
It was, in fact, the always-elegant Goblin Queen who broke the family reunion silence. She had re-entered the room holding a brunette infant in her arms and was staring at Jerrick.   
  
"Jerrick, darling, did you walk into a door?"  
  
Jerrick flushed, which was a mistake. It made the bruises on his face stand out. Zane smirked slightly. I had to admit that Jerrick's fair skin made it appear that he had been the loser. Of course, that didn't stop me from punching Zane in the rib cage, an action that caused him to wince and my knuckles to sting. But it stopped all semblance of laughter on our part. Zena was watching the proceedings with a great deal of interest. Jareth put Merry on the ground and wrapped a now available arm around Sarah's waist. With practiced ease, the family unit slid together, Jerrick at his father's left, Deliah to her mother's right and holding the exact copy of the brunette infant that Sarah held. Asher and Merry stepped in front of their parents and voila. Instant family photo. It was a Kodak moment, it really was.   
  
"Hello, Zora," Jareth said, voice even. I nodded.  
  
"What's up, Uncle J?"   
  
For a few minutes after I spoke, silence reigned. It was almost like people were trying to decide whether or not they should take me seriously. Jerrick and Deliah looked at their folks, both of whom nodded slowly. Zane looked at me as though I had lost my mind. Jerrick and Deliah and Merry wore combinations of disbelief, joy, and in Jerrick's case, horror. Zena blinked a few times. Asher nodded quietly.   
  
"You're Toby's children," Asher said in that calm even tone of his. I put Zena down and crossed to the munchkin, kneeling down to look him in the eye.   
  
"You know about Toby?" I asked. Asher nodded, and I grinned. "You're all right, kid."   
  
Asher smiled shyly at me, and I ruffled his hair. In the meantime, Jerrick and Zane were back to eying each other with a large degree of skepticism. Merry had taken Zena's hand, and Deliah had handed off the baby she was holding to her father.   
  
//Now you are complete.//  
  
Oh, goody. And I was in *just* the mood to hear from my own personal break with sanity.   
  
//Buzz off, Orenda.//  
  
//You are the catalyst. There is no escaping it.//  
  
//That sounds a whole lot like the speech Darth Vader made to Luke Skywalker in Cloud City. It didn't work for Vader, I really doubt it's going to work for you.//   
  
//Move away from the child.//  
  
//Is that a threat?//   
  
//You cannot escape your destiny. Zora, you left before I could explain what is going to happen to you. Whether you accept this fate or not, whether you desire this fate or not, the Labyrinth does not care. It loves you, it wants your happiness, but it will use you to rid itself of the extra magic that it no longer has a place for. You have felt its power all ready.//  
  
I had? Brief pause to ponder cryptic message...  
  
//The crystal stream. Damn it.//   
  
It was about this time that I became aware of eyes watching me. Everyone in the room was inspecting me, because I was staring blankly at the wall. Interesting, but I didn't have time to explore this phenomenon at present. I returned to the conversation taking place inside my mind.   
  
//That 'crystal stream' as you call it is an expression of magic. From now until your life ends, you are bound to the Labyrinth. It's magic and voice will flow through you. In a matter of moments, I will be absorbed back into the Labyrinth and guardianship of its power will transfer to you. When that happens, your mind and body will undergo a strengthening change. You will awaken with a direct connection to the Labyrinth. In the time you are unconscious...//  
  
//Hold on. What do you mean unconscious? No one said anything about being unconscious!//  
  
//You will not be harmed. While you are unconscious, the Labyrinth will siphon a portion of it's energy store through you. This will relieve the pressure building in the Labyrinth to a certain extent.//  
  
//A certain extent? What the hell is that supposed to mean?//  
  
//There is a great deal more to be redistributed, and it will require the aid of a great many magical beings. At some point, all the excess magic in the Labyrinth will flow through you and back into the Underground. The Labyrinth will keep only what it desires to keep.//   
  
//Comforting. Really. So I'm going to be a human conductor for this magic? Are you insane?//  
  
//Not insane. And you are no longer precisely human, Zora. And in a few minutes, you will be farther away from being human. By the time this is over, you will be as far away from human as any Fae. And you will have the power to make your dreams come true. Good luck to you, Zora. The Labyrinth loves you, and thanks you. Soon you will know the glory and joy of being its guardian.//  
  
//The hell I will.//  
  
Silence.  
  
//Orenda?//  
  
Dead silence. I could almost hear crickets chirping in my mind.  
  
//Orenda, what the hell are you trying to...fine. Be that way.//  
  
I snapped out of my internal dialogue to find my brother, sister and extended family staring at me. Jareth and Sarah looked confused, Jerrick looked furious, and Asher seemed amazed.   
  
"You can talk to the Labyrinth," he breathed. Jareth's eyes snapped toward his son and then back to me. I shook my head slowly. Well I wasn't going to lie to the kid, even if said lie might get me a little respect.   
  
"She isn't the Labyrinth. She's its emissary or something of that ilk. And besides, that has nothing to do with anything."   
  
I pushed myself off the floor and winced, pressing my left hand to my temple. I suddenly had a headache. The perfect ending to a perfect day.   
  
"So. Uncle J. Who do we need to talk to about being sent home?"  
  
Jareth looked at me strangely. "Home?"  
  
"You know, big brick Victorian job? Three stories? Lakewood Drive? Help me out here. The place you kidnapped my sister from?"  
  
"We beat the Labyrinth," Zane piped up, running a hand through his now damp hair. "Time for you to hold up your end of the bargain and send us home before my parents get back."  
  
"I'm sleepy," Zena piped up. I tried to smile encouragingly, but couldn't quite manage it. The pain in my head was growing worse, becoming a steady, pounding beat. Almost like a heartbeat, I thought absently.   
  
Jareth opened his mouth to say something just as the terrible pressure in my head spread throughout my entire body. I gasped and reached for Zane, tightening my hold on his arm as I slid to the ground. As the pressure eased from my body, the first real pain came along. I felt like I had been punched in the stomach, like my blood was boiling. I gasped and fell on the floor, curling up into a fetal position.   
  
"ZORA!"   
  
I heard the sound of running feet, and then I was being turned over. I saw Zane and Zena crouching over me and tried to smile, but the pain came in another wave and I screamed instead. Zena started to cry, and I felt myself being lifted. Colors danced in front of my eyes and I closed them, surrendering to the darkness that offered to enfold me. Just before I passed out, I heard another voice in my head. It wasn't Orenda, didn't even sound like her. This voice was gender neutral, understated, and yet contained a shimmer that made it bearable to listen to.   
  
//And now, we are one.//  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The summer between my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college, my whole family loaded up in the communal minivan and drove to visit my grandparents. Somewhere in the midst of McDonald's fries, Hostess Cupcakes and obnoxious music, we managed to make it the 300 miles to my grandparents quiet, tree lined street.   
  
My father and mother were staying at a hotel, along with all their children. I was the sole exception, the idea being that I would get to spend more quality time with my grandparents before I headed off to college and began my independent adult life. On the whole, this suited me just fine. I slept in my dad's old room, cooked dinner for my grandmother and watched football with my grandfather.   
  
One quiet day as the visit was drawing to a close, my whole family decided to go see a movie that I had already seen. Pleading a headache, I waved my relatives off and returned to the house. When I was sure they were gone, I crept upstairs to the only room in the house I was forbidden to enter. Using my awe-inspiring powers of deduction, I had surmised quite some time ago that this had to be Sarah's room, and I wasn't about to pass up the one and only opportunity I had to sneak in and check it out.   
  
The door was locked, naturally, but it didn't take a genius to realize where my grandfather had hidden the key. After rummaging through his jewelry box for a few minutes, I found what I had been looking for and let myself inside.   
  
It was a fairly ordinary room. There were a few Escher posters and a partitioned shelf for teddy bears. One slot was empty. The bed, vanity, and closet showed a coating of dust, and I was careful not to leave any fingerprints. I turned slowly, checked out the books on the bookshelf and sat down at the vanity. I turned toward the mirror, and gaped at what I saw.   
  
There was a beautifully etched painting on the glass. I blew away the dust and looked at it a little more carefully. There was a twisting maze...or what I thought might be a twisting maze. It was on a hill, and at the top of that hill was a castle. And the whole thing was so intricate, so perfect, that I couldn't help but be fascinated by it.   
  
I'm still not sure how long I stayed at that vanity, staring at the picture. I snapped out of it when I heard a car in the driveway and hustled out of there to lock the door and put the key back. But what I had been fascinated by had escaped me until the moments when I floated in blackness. What had interested me was that because of the etching, and because there was a mirror behind the etching, the Labyrinth was super-imposed over my reflection. Like we were one entity.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A piece of advice. If you are able to avoid passing out, do so at all costs. Passing out is a big big mistake. Not only do you miss crucial elements of conversation, but you tend to suffer a great deal of disorientation when you awaken. And that, boys and girls, is what we call zero fun.   
  
I woke up lying on a rather soft and lovely bed. It was a happy thing. Then there was the soft flowing druidic gown I was wearing that seemed to be made out of some type of silk. And last but not least, there was the lack of pressure, pain and noise that had come so dear the last few hours. There were times to be had just as soon as I could sit up. I could just tell.   
  
I closed my eyes again, trying to remember what had happened before my brain had so thoughtfully given out on me. I remembered Orenda's lovely goodbye speech, and then a hell of a lot of pain. I raised a hand so that I could look at it for a while, and noticed that the fine sheen of glitter I had noticed on my clothing had transferred to my skin, giving it a light shimmer whenever the light hit it. I sat up, and immediately realized my mistake. The blood rushed to my head, and black spots danced in front of my eyes. I stayed perfectly still for a while. And once I finished doing that, I took stock of my body.   
  
The pain shuddered through my body again, and I closed my eyes against it. And then I swung my legs over the bed and stood up. The room was bare, just a bed and a big old window. The window had a killer view, but that was about it. I pulled open the door and noticed that I was suddenly clean. Well, not suddenly since I had no idea how long I'd been out cold, but suddenly by my internal clock. I opened the door and found myself in a long, well-lit hallway. Interesting as it was, I went in search of some sort of companionship, preferably the kind that could answer the twelve million questions that were bouncing around in my brain. I padded on bare feet down the hall and heard voices in a distant room. I approached stealthily, on cat feet, weaving only slightly as I approached the room. To prevent further weaving, or worse, actually falling on my face, I propped myself up against the wall just outside the open arch and settled in for some quality eavesdropping.  
  
"Your niece has been unconscious for three days, Goblin King."  
  
Three days? Well that certainly sucked.   
  
"And in those three days we have noticed a vast amount of new power flowing through the Underground." New voice, just as obnoxious and really male. Great.   
  
"I have warned this council for years upon years that you could not keep sending magic into the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth is not able to store such vast amounts of power. And yet you have insisted upon sending not only your stray creatures, but your stray magic into the Labyrinth. Since this tradition began, the Labyrinth has been refining this power, straining it and molding it into a cohesive force. The new magic has not harmed anything, has it?"  
  
"No."  
  
And that voice gave me the shivers. It was low, silky, and sounded like power and magic and snowflakes melting on your tongue.   
  
"No, the new magic has harmed nothing. It has, in fact, rejuvenated those parts of the Underground that have been fading. It is strengthening the Underground, making it a better place. And it seems to work indiscriminately, going where it is needed most regardless of whose territory the fading area may be in."  
  
My jaw dropped slightly. So that's what all that power had been doing. Fixing the Underground. How about that? I was helping to rebuild the Underground. That almost made the crazy amount of pain I had recently suffered worth it. Almost.  
  
"The girl is a menace!"   
  
This statement came from Speaker Number 1, and was accompanied by a hand smashing against some kind of wood. I jumped slightly, and then narrowed my eyes. A menace? Nobody but Zane was allowed to call me that and live.   
  
"My niece is cleaning up your mess, sir!"   
  
I smiled. Aunt Sarah...I was really starting to like her. I had a feeling that we were going to get along just fine once everything settled down.   
  
"My mess? I have caused none of this. And the intense magical fluctuations in the Underground are dangerous to all. This cannot be allowed to continue."   
  
"My lord Daemon, I believe the health of the Guardian is also at stake. If she dies, there will be no way to prevent the spread of the Labyrinth. It will run wild with no one to reign it in." That was sexy voice guy. Interesting.   
  
"Then let the Goblin King control it, Lord Varian." Hey, a name to go with the sexy voice. Not bad.   
  
"I cannot. The Labyrinth will respond only to its chosen master. I am the master imposed upon it, and though we have an understanding, Zora is the Chosen One. She alone can wield dominion over the Labyrinth and its magic."  
  
"Are you telling me," Daemon said, his voice shaking slightly, "that a mortal child is now in control of the Labyrinth and all the creatures that reside within it?"  
  
"Not at all. I am ruler over those things that live in the Labyrinth, but the Labyrinth itself answers now to and by Zora. In addition, if I am not mistaken, she can wield the magic of the Labyrinth to her will."  
  
"This is madness!" A new voice was speaking, and this new guy sounded freaked.   
  
"Not madness. Once the Labyrinth is drained of excess, it will use Zora as a channel. New and refined magic from the Labyrinth will pour through Zora from now until the end of her life."  
  
"But she is mortal! Her life will not be long at all compared to ours!"   
  
There was a brief muttering of relief at this statement. I made a face. Nothing like knowing that your death will solve the problems of the world.   
  
"She is no longer mortal, Lord Nimbus."  
  
And then came the double take on my part and dead silence on theirs. Pardon?   
  
"Zora is now as immortal and powerful as any Fae. She is the first of a new race, as foretold in the prophecy. She began as a mortal, yes. But the immense power that poured through her remade her body and soul in many ways. She is Labyrinthian, the first being ever forged from the Labyrinth's power. She is, in a manner of speaking, a new species."   
  
I was starting to see red. This was bad in so many ways. I was angry, frustrated and getting close to tears. I took several deep breaths and counted to ten. And then to twenty. And then to fifty, just for good measure.   
  
"Then she is dangerous," Daemon breathed.   
  
And I was done being quiet. I took stock of my appearance. Bare feet, loose hair, weird shimmer over my skin. Okay, not much I could do about any of that. But still, entrance is everything. Storming around the corner wasn't very dignified, so I rolled around the doorframe and leaned on it, arms over my chest.   
  
"You have no idea," I drawled.   
  
Twenty heads snapped around to stare at me. There was a man with wings, another with scales, a woman whose dress flowed like water around her body (and as her hair was blue, I thought this might be the point) and another woman whose reddish hair was comprised entirely of autumn leaves. The strange sights continued around the table. My eyes lingered on a rather normal looking man with coal black hair and a beard. I'd bet my trust fund that was Daemon...he didn't look happy to see me. I gave him a sarcastic little wave, and his face darkened. Nimbus wasn't hard to find. He was glowing. Jareth and Sarah were sitting at one end of the table, watching me...and at the other end of the table was a gorgeous guy.   
  
He was taller than me, with long white blond hair and slanted green eyes. The outfit, the sword at his hip, the cloak and even the earring dangling from his left earlobe were a stunning combo. Wow. Make that a double Wow. I looked away before my eyes fell out of my head. It wasn't very effective, since he stood up and bowed to me.   
  
"My lady," he said. Oh, baby. That had to be Varian. Hot damn. Of course, it wouldn't do to fall all over myself saying hello, so I hid behind a mask of indifference, and ignored the fact that my heart was beating faster.   
  
"Hi there. And hello to all of you strange folks. Sorry that I can't stay and listen to you all complaining about and damning my very existence, but you know how it is. Places to go, siblings to see."   
  
I turned toward Jareth. "Where are Zane and Zena?"  
  
"We sent them home," Sarah said. I raised my eyebrow.   
  
"Good for you. You get a gold star for the day. And I'll just bet that both my parents have a memory of me leaving home to go back to school and that everything is fine and dandy on the home front."  
  
Sarah nodded, and I smiled.   
  
"Great. Then just send me back to my dorm room and we'll call it even."  
  
There are few ways to describe the silence that followed that statement. Everyone around the table looked like I had just informed them that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse had arrived for dinner.   
  
"Was it something I said?"  
  
And the whole table erupted. People were shouting, a few were laughing, Jareth was trying to regain some sort of control and Varian was...watching me? I turned to face him. Not only was he staring, but he didn't try to hid that fact after I caught him. He just leaned his head on one hand and watched me. I rolled my eyes and turned away. And for some odd reason, even through all the noise in the room, I heard his chuckle.   
  
//Stop them.//  
  
My eyes widened and I gasped. Sarah turned sharply to look at me, but I wasn't paying attention to her. The voice in my head spoke of growing things and sandstone walls, of glitter and magic. It was fabulous.   
  
//Stop them. They upset the balance.//  
  
//And how, exactly would you propose I do that?//  
  
//Wind. Call the wind.//  
  
Call the wind. I was getting really sick of this cryptic message crap.   
  
//How?//  
  
//Ask, and then let yourself create.//  
  
Okay. Sounded simple enough. Without knowing why I did it, I reached one arm into the air, two fingers pointing toward the ceiling. "Be quiet," I murmured, picturing wind in my mind and I felt the crystal stream swell and overflow inside me. A tendril of that shimmering river shot through my arm and out into the room, and a swirling vortex spilled into the empty space around me. I closed my eyes and reveled in the feeling.   
  
//Let me know when they've had enough.//  
  
//The Faerie King will tell you.//  
  
//What?//  
  
I felt a hand touch my shoulder. It broke my concentration. The tendril of magic retreated into my body and my arm dropped to my side. I opened my eyes and saw a table full of startled immortals staring at me.   
  
"Well done, my lady."  
  
I turned slightly and saw Varian standing at my side, his hand still resting on my shoulder. Faerie king huh? Wonderful. As if my life weren't complicated enough. Varian seemed to be enjoying this, and I couldn't blame him. I was having a hell of a time.   
  
"You upset the Labyrinth," I said. Everyone blinked. "Don't do it again."  
  
There were a few nods and a lot of throat clearing. Daemon was the first to speak.   
  
"You see? She is a menace, a danger to us all!"  
  
I glared. I was really starting to dislike this guy.   
  
//Can I blast him?//  
  
There was a chuckle deep in my mind, and I took that as a no. Bummer.   
  
"You are not nearly as afraid as you should be," I said to Daemon. He blanched slightly. Oh yeah. It was good to be me. Varian chuckled again. I ignored him (not that it was easy) and swept over to my aunt and uncle.   
  
//They must work together.//  
  
I slammed on the brakes and listened. Listening was a good and positive thing to do.   
  
//Work together. Right.//  
  
//I must speak through you.//   
  
//Be my guest.//  
  
And thus began a truly bizarre experience. I was shunted out of them way, and that magical voice that spoke inside my head was suddenly speaking through my mouth.   
  
/*/You have all created this problem. The Labyrinth is full to overflowing with the magic you have sent to it. It is refined, purified and united, a single force that will work for good, to heal and improve the Underground. But it must be released. There is no other option open to you. You must form the Circle of Ages and release this power so that it may work for you, and not against you. The Circle of Ages is the solution. Make it so./*/   
  
It took me a minute to get used to having my mind back, and then I looked around to gauge the reaction of those around me. They were all speechless. I grinned.   
  
"Any questions?"   
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	10. Honor, Glory, Leadership and Love

Oh, it's an update! Everyone loves an update! Many thanks to the gods of summer, who have provided me with this opportunity.   
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. WHEE!!!  
  
Devil's Rain  
  
By Lyra Matsuoka  
  
Rated PG-13  
  
Chapter 10 : Honor, Glory, Leadership and Love  
  
If you're starting to think that all this sounds a little to much like 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' for comfort, allow me to assure you that I felt the same way. I was literally thinking over that opening blurb that they played at the first part of virtually every 'Buffy' episode for the first season or so. You know, 'Into each generation a Slayer is born.' There was just a little too much of this 'Chosen One' talk going around for comfort.   
  
After the Labyrinth decided to make itself known via me, the entire table stood around and stared at each other for a little while. This was both amazingly productive and vastly entertaining. Or not. Still, it was a lot to absorb that a mortal could both summon magic and communicate with an ages old magical creation. Everyone seemed to be in shock. Everyone, that is, except for Jareth, Sarah, Varian and, naturally, me.   
  
I stood quietly, blinking and waiting for someone to make something clear to me. Or better yet, to offer a solution. But no one was jumping up and down in a desperate effort to be heard. I had a few suggestions, and a few questions to ask, but this still seemed like a rather formal occasion, so I did exactly what my first grade teacher had trained me to do.   
  
I raised my hand.  
  
Interestingly enough, that didn't break the silence. It did, however, catch Jareth's attention. When in doubt, revert to basics.  
  
"Yes, Zora?"  
  
"Question. What's the Circle of Ages?"  
  
//I will tell you.//  
  
"Never mind. The Labyrinth is going to tell me." That got me a few strange looks.   
  
"What?" I said as I retreated into a mental conversation.  
  
//The Circle of Ages is a gathering of powerful magical creatures, the greatest in the Underground, one from each magical race. The Circle is built with a focus at the center and the focus gains control of the Circle and bends its power to their will.//  
  
//Ten bucks says I'm the focus.//  
  
//Correct.//  
  
Okay. Good information to have. I opened my eyes and surveyed the surroundings once more.  
  
"Why is everyone sitting around doing nothing? There's a Circle of Ages to be formed, if I'm not much mistaken."  
  
"It is not that simple, Zora," Jareth said, pressing three fingers to the bridge of his nose. I snorted, which got me a few startled glances.  
  
"Wrong again. It is *just* that simple. There is, in fact, nothing simpler. Either you get the Circle of Ages operational, or all the power of the Labyrinth gets released."  
  
No response. I shrugged...and I slammed on the brakes, both mentally and physically, remembering something that the Labyrinth had said. I slowly turned to Uncle Jareth.  
  
"If you all don't gather the Circle of Ages, what happens to me?"  
  
Jareth looked at me with sad eyes.  
  
"What happens to me?"   
  
I knew that my voice was rising with each word, and I didn't care. Because I was remembering the all-consuming pain that had accompanied the initial release of power, and that had just taken the edge off. I felt cold seeping into my limbs. I could feel the vast amounts of power that rested just beneath the surface of the Labyrinth and I knew, suddenly, that I would never be able to withstand that much magic passing through my body. And if I couldn't withstand it and it happened anyway, that could mean only one thing.   
  
"I'll die."  
  
And suddenly no one at the table could meet my eyes. I looked at each of them individually, but received no response.   
  
"I'll die."  
  
I said it again, just to get used to the feel of it in my mouth. Of all the things I had ever been confronted with, this was the most terrifying. I wasn't sure what my future plans were, but I knew that in order to finalize anything I had to *have* a future. The thought that someone might have the power to take those years off my life was a little disconcerting. I felt the blood rushing from my brain and the room began to sway.  
  
"I think I need to sit down."  
  
No sooner said than done. Without further ado, Varian picked me up and carried me to his empty chair. Of course, he didn't just place me in the chair and allow me to recover my wits. Oh no. Instead, the gorgeous Faerie King sat down in his chair and held me on his lap. It was a sign of my distress that I actually let him get away with it for a few seconds. But those few seconds were short lived. Because after shock comes anger, and I know how to deal with that.   
  
//Is there some way that I can handle this on my own?//  
  
//Of course there is.//  
  
//Feel like sharing?//  
  
//You can begin now and channel more and more of the power until all the energy is drained from the Labyrinth.//  
  
//And how long will that take?//  
  
//Roughly four hundred years.//  
  
//And I'd be unconscious for most of that, yes?//  
  
//For all of that.//  
  
//I don't like Plan A. What's Plan B?//  
  
//The Circle of Ages.//  
  
//Damn.//  
  
I looked at Varian and then looked down at our positions.   
  
"Excuse me, have we met?"   
  
Varian laughed and I made sure that I glared before I stood up. He let me go, which sent twinges of relief and disappointment through my body. I ignored both.   
  
"If you people don't gather the Circle of Ages and solve this problem that *you* created, then I'm the one who pays the price?"   
  
Silence. I was remarkably okay with this. If everyone in the world wanted to be quiet while I worked myself into a full-blown temper tantrum, that was fine with me. I was just getting started.   
  
"No way. No freaking way. I am not going to lay down and *die* just so you people can plod on through your immortal existence without a blip on the screen. No way. So you all put your immortal heads together and you figure out a way to fix this, because by every god high and low, if I'm going down I am taking every single one of you with me."  
  
This probably would have been a great deal more dramatic if I had managed to stalk from the room. Instead, I made it to the archway before another wave of pressure, magic, and pain swamped my mind and body and I muffled my scream as I fell to the ground. There was absolutely no way that I was going to let anyone in this room know just how much this whole episode sucked. Another wave hit and I whimpered, and everyone in the room sprung into action.   
  
"I will go to the kingdoms and explain our need."  
  
"And I."  
  
"And I."  
  
On and on went the offers of assistance as I was turned over little by little. I opened my eyes and saw Aunt Sarah bending over me. It was the first time I noticed that she wore a crown. I reached up a hand and touched it.   
  
"Nice look for you," I said, and she smiled weakly. I could see the lines of worry around her face. "Don't worry, Aunt Sarah. I'll pass out in a minute and everything will be just fine."  
  
The last word was a gasp as the power flowed through me, seeking a new home. What was odd was the sensation it evoked. It didn't really hurt anymore. Instead it felt...well, not good but not really bad. It felt interesting...it was a good pain. Like when a broken bone is set or a baby tooth falls out. I gasped again, but smiled afterward. The pain was receding, and I was falling into cobwebs and shadow. I was being lifted, cradled against a very male chest.  
  
I'll give you three guesses. First two don't count.  
  
Varian lifted me up off the ground. "Which way to her room?" he asked.  
  
"I'll show you," Sarah said. "The two of you cannot, after all, be un-chaperoned."   
  
I would have laughed, but I wasn't sure I could manage it. Instead I smiled lightly. That was really amusing. Varian didn't seem to find it so. Instead, he turned to face the room at large.   
  
"You will find a means to solve this. All of you will find a solution. There is no other option open to you."  
  
"A method will be found, will it not?" That was Uncle Jareth, and he sounded pissed. So had Varian, truth be told. That was kind of nice. Varian swung around and carried me toward my room. And I felt like it was the appropriate time to pass out.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When I woke up, the pain was gone. In its place was a steady throbbing. Unless I missed my guess entirely, that throbbing was the result of the immense amounts of magic pouring through my very mortal body. Except it was no longer mortal, according to Varian. I pondered that briefly just before I opened my eyes.   
  
The room was as plain as I remembered it, and once again I was totally uninterested in my surroundings. Instead I tried to sit up...and found that two rather large hands were keeping me firmly in place.   
  
I opened my eyes a little wider and looked up, attempting to find the body that logic told me must be attached to the hands. There was a body, which was comforting. There was also a cold compress being gently pressed across my face. I squinted and finally opened my eyes wide.   
  
Aunt Sarah was standing over me, and an unknown figure was holding me in place. A male figure that looked really familiar.   
  
"Zane!" I gasped, reaching out for him. I was restrained.   
  
"Don't move, Zora. You're really sick."  
  
"I'm not sick. I'm just going through a phase. A phase where I act like a living conductor for a force that I don't understand. I'm a rebel," I said. But I didn't try to sit up again. That would have been silly. I looked around the room and frowned. Deliah, Jerrick and Asher were all standing around my bed.   
  
"I'm sure watching me sleep is fascinating, but don't any of you have hobbies?" Nonetheless, when Asher crawled up on the bed I wrapped an arm around him. Deliah and Jerrick looked relieved that I was talking.   
  
"We were concerned that you would be unable to speak or move."  
  
"I'm not even going to ask."  
  
"A great deal of magic passed through you, Zora," Asher imparted knowledgably. "Most beings would go mad after experiencing a magical transfer of that magnitude."  
  
"I never was one to do the expected."  
  
"You can say that again," my brother drawled, and we glared at each other.  
  
"When I want your opinion I'll give it to you. And just out of curiosity, what are you doing here? Not that I mind, you understand, but I am a little curious. I thought they sent you back."  
  
"They did."  
  
My brother sounded displeased. I couldn't blame him. It was interesting that he glared at Jerrick as he spoke, but I was entertained by it so I didn't reprimand him.   
  
"You asked to be sent back," Jerrick said calmly. I observed, however, that a muscle was twitching in his jaw. I looked down at Asher and saw that he had noticed as well. I raised my eyebrows up and down several times and Asher giggled. No one noticed.   
  
"And then they, that would be the ultimate they, decided that it might be useful for you to have someone around who could..." he broke off, his ears turning red. Obviously he was embarrassed. I quirked an eyebrow at him.   
  
"Someone who could deal with my moods, yell at me when I'm being stubborn and unreasonable, restrain me if I try to kill someone and deflate my ego?"  
  
Zane nodded and I grinned. "They couldn't have found a better man for the job."  
  
"Surely it isn't as bad as all that," came the reply. The only problem was that Zane hadn't voiced said reply. Don't get me wrong; I love my brother, but he has never, and I doubt he will ever have a 'come hither' voice. And the voice that had spoken was definitely 'come hither'.   
  
Oh baby.   
  
Zane stepped protectively between the door and me, effectively blocking my view of the proceedings. Good thing he was close enough that I could smack him lightly.   
  
"Welcome to the party," I said, using the flip tone to put some distance between us. Or rather, between my mind and my raging hormones. I sure thought it was necessary. Varian smiled at me, his earring glinting in the sunlight.   
  
"I'm delighted to see you up and about, my lady."   
  
"If by up you mean awake," I said dryly.   
  
"Varian. Glad you could make it," Jerrick said, walking over to the King of the Faerie. The exchanged handshakes and embraced in that manly, back slapping sort of way. And interestingly enough, I noticed that Deliah was watching Varian with a dazed, dreamy expression on her face. I stifled my laughter, which escaped as a cross between a choking noise and a cough. Zane pounded me helpfully on the back. I waved him away and shook my head helplessly. This was just too fun for words.   
  
Varian turned and introduced himself to my brother, leaving me with nothing to do. Fortunately for me, Sarah reappeared with a doctor in tow. That's right, a doctor. And the doctor banished everyone from the room while he asked me questions, checked my pupils, my teeth and my ears before scanning me with his eyes and pronouncing me in perfect health. I resist the urge to ask him if he had any news for me that I didn't already know. Of course I was fine. If I wasn't much mistaken, I was going to stay that way for a very long time.   
  
"Stay in bed, young lady. You are in perfect health, but falling down is never a healthy pastime, and you seem to fall down more than you stay standing."  
  
After the doctor left I waited for a few moments for something to happen. And something did. Everyone came trooping back into the room. I raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Does everyone here know something I don't?"  
  
"Yes," Varian supplied. I nodded. I'd expected as much.   
  
"And this something that everyone knows requires that I be watched at all times?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Communicative lot you are," I said, turning to the entity that would answer my questions.   
  
//Why do I require babysitters? Is someone trying to kill me?//  
  
//Not at all. If these friends of yours would pause and think for a moment, they would realize that nothing can harm you while you are within the boundaries of the Labyrinth.//  
  
//That makes sense.//  
  
//However, none of them seem inclined to leave you alone. The Faerie King especially has taken it into his head to protect you.//  
  
There were worse things in life than that. I turned back to the room at large.   
  
"I realize that this may come as a surprise to the lot of you, but I am a big girl and am fully capable of taking care of myself."  
  
"You are a mere child in our terms," Jerrick said, a slight smirk on his face. Zane looked at me and blanched. Smart boy. He knew that this had trouble written all over it. In typical Zane fashion he began backing out of the room. Varian and Jerrick noticed this, which meant that Zane needed to defend his actions.  
  
"Hey, if you want to antagonize her, be my guest. But I'm leaving before this gets ugly. I would suggest you all do the same."  
  
Asher and Deliah seemed inclined to believe my brother, and they followed him out, though Deliah left reluctantly and with many a languishing glance at Varien's back. I resisted the urge to make a smart remark. I drew upon my small reserve of tact and let it lie. Varian and Jerrick were made of sterner stuff than the others - they stayed where they were. Brave souls.   
  
"Perhaps I missed something," I said to Varian. "Who died and put you in charge?"  
  
"No one has died yet. And we intend that it stay that way. You have been pronounced a danger to yourself and others by the High Council and as such, you require constant surveillance." Jerrick gave that little speech. Varian said nothing, but he was starting to smile.   
  
"And you two are my baby-sitters?"  
  
"Oh, come now. Surely our company is not as boring and tedious as your tone would suggest," Varian teased. I was not in the mood. I threw my head back and closed my eyes.   
  
"Why me? Can someone tell me what I've done to deserve this?"  
  
Varian laughed, and Jerrick joined him. Just what I needed - to be the primary source of entertainment for two immortals. And, as luck would have it, the Labyrinth took that very moment to further complicate my life.   
  
//Come down to the Labyrinth as soon as you are able.//  
  
//Why?//  
  
//I require your presence. We have much to discuss.//  
  
//Can you be a little more vague? I'm not real great with straightforward instructions.//  
  
So I returned to the outer world and proceeded to spend a good hour being talked at. It wasn't much fun, since none of the conversation seemed to require my participation. Deliah wandered in and out a few times to laugh at Varian's jokes and listen attentively and Zane came by to bring me lunch and to remind me to behave. Through it all, Varian and Jerrick kept up a lively stream of conversation, but I noticed that Varian's eyes strayed to me more often than they focused anywhere else. Even while listening he displayed the rather unnerving tendency to look straight at me rather than paying attention to the speaker. I thought I was imagining things until Deliah started glaring at me.  
  
//I don't suppose you know why Varian keeps staring at me?//  
  
//Of course I do.//  
  
//Naturally. Silly of me to even ask.//  
  
//Yes it was.//  
  
//And do you feel like sharing?//  
  
//He is attracted to you.//  
  
I waited. Further information was not forthcoming.  
  
//Do I need to drop a quarter in the slot to get another sentence?//  
  
//It is that simple. The Faerie King is intrigued by you. He finds you amusing and unpredictable. And he is attracted to you just as strongly as you are attracted to him.//  
  
//Whoa, whoa. Back up a minute. Who said I was attracted to him?//  
  
//Aren't you?//  
  
I paused and glanced up. Varian was staring at me again. This time our eyes met and held. A shiver shot down my spine and Varian smiled slowly. Hello.   
  
//Forgive me my skepticism, but that's all it is? No prophecy, no destined love, no the-world-will-end-if-we-are-torn-asunder? Just ordinary body chemistry?//  
  
//Correct.//  
  
I didn't ask any more questions. Attraction I could deal with. To be honest, I was thrilled to finally encounter something that I understood. And if the budding situation between Varian and I was desperately complex, I really didn't feel the burning desire to know.   
  
I decided that this eye game and conversation had gone on long enough, closed my eyes and gradually pretended to drift off to sleep. I've always been good at this, but it seemed to me that the Labyrinth was helping me out since everyone crept quietly out of the room and pulled the door shut behind them. I sat up, swung my legs off the bed, used the bedpost to support my weight while my legs decided whether or not to hold the rest of my body up and I started toward the door.   
  
//Your cousin is standing guard.//  
  
Okay, the door was out. I walked to the window and opened it. No balcony on my floor, but there was a balcony just below my window. I looked to the sides and glimpsed...a drainpipe. That is correct, a drainpipe. Now, under ordinary circumstances I would have banished the thought of shimmying down a drainpipe from my mind, but desperate times called for desperate measures. The drainpipe ended at the ground, and the green carpet of grass stretched down the hill that the castle sat upon, past several gardens and a gazebo right to the edge of the Labyrinth.   
  
Ideal.   
  
Sadly, I was not dressed for the occasion. The white gown was very fitting in a virgin-sacrifice sort of way, but it was not designed for strenuous physical activities such as the one that I was about to attempt. Where had they put my jeans? I glanced around and saw them resting over the back of a chair. The problem? The chair hadn't been there before. But I was willing to go on a little faith, and thus donned my jeans and shoes. I picked up my shirt, and it did not look happy. Neither did my wool duster. I made a face. I liked those two things. I threw the top over my head, left the duster on the chair, and walked back toward the window.   
  
//Have you ever done this before?//  
  
//Nope.//  
  
//Do you know how to accomplish this?//  
  
//I've seen it in movies.//  
  
//Very reassuring.//  
  
Without further ado, I swung one leg out the window and grabbed on to the drainpipe. The other half of my body followed in due time, and I began my slow and dizzying descent to the ground. I figured I was a good four stories up, which was nice. They might have put me in a tower or something equally archaic. But that thought wasn't very comforting until I was close enough to the ground that, should I slip, I probably wouldn't die on impact. I had also been lucky that no one had seen me slipping down the side of the castle. I was reasonably certain that a sight like that would not have gone unnoticed. But I hadn't heard any shrieks or laughter as yet, so I figured I was safe.  
  
Never make assumptions. Don't do it.   
  
I was almost to the ground when I heard a rather solicitous voice wafting down from the window I had so recently crawled out of. I couldn't make out the words, but I knew the voice. Varian. Damn it all to hell.   
  
I'm reasonably certain that it was the empty bed that first alerted him, followed closely by the discarded white gown. And as there were only two ways out of the room and it was relatively obvious that I had not walked out the door, Varian would quickly realize that I had gone out the window.  
  
So much for my smooth getaway.   
  
I looked down and groaned. I was still ten feet or so off the ground, and it didn't look like I was going to be able to make it much closer before I would be forced to jump. I slid a little closer to the comforting, solid earth.  
  
"Zora? ZORA?!"   
  
Oh, goody. I looked up and saw Jerrick leaning out the window, staring at me. He seemed unable to formulate any sort of intelligent remark, or so I surmised based on the way his mouth was opening and closing. I smiled up at him just as Varian joined the party. Varian did not look pleased. In fact, he looked a little angry. I could think of several reasons for this, not the least of which being that I had climbed out an open window and shimmied down a drainpipe in a bold escape attempt. I gave a salute and slid a little closer to the ground. I glanced up again just in time to see Varian whirl away from the window and Jerrick climb out of it to join me on the drainpipe.   
  
This would not end well, I was just sure of it.   
  
//Where did Varian go?//   
  
//I'm not entirely sure I ought to tell you.//  
  
//Stop being difficult. I need to decide on a course of action. Is he running down here to intercept me?//  
  
//Yes.//  
  
//And you are absolutely certain that you have to talk to me right this second?//  
  
//Yes.//  
  
//I hate my life. I really, really do.//  
  
I glanced up. Jerrick was better at this drainpipe thing than I was. He was gaining on me. And if Varian were on his way, there was only one thing left to do.   
  
I jumped.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued...(cue suspenseful movie theme) 


	11. My Whole World's Upside Down

Here's the latest chapter of Devil's Rain. Thanks to everyone for the encouragement and emails! I hope that everyone had a great holiday season and good luck in 2004.  
  
Disclaimer : If any corporate producers came after me, they'd get nothing. So really, what would be the point? Chapter title brought to you by the song 'Crush'  
  
Devil's Rain By Lyra Matsuoka  
  
Chapter 11 : My Whole World's Upside Down  
  
You may be wondering why a young woman of reasonable intelligence, such as myself, might choose to freefall several feet through the air to the ground below. Allow me to say, in my defense, that I was a) in a terribly unfamiliar situation and b) running out of options. Thus, I closed my eyes, released my death grip on the drainpipe - which was actually starting to creak ominously at the double weight Jerrick and I were placing on it - and dropped the additional feet to the ground.  
  
As I had discovered earlier during my sojourn in the Underground, gravity is applicable to all falling objects. My landing was not what you might call graceful, nor was it particularly entertaining for me. I landed on my feet, and promptly fell straight onto my back without even attempting to regain my balance. It took a few moments for me to recover myself, but upon sitting up and shaking my head a few times, all was right with my world. I looked up and noticed that Jerrick was staring at me with a blend of anger and relief on his face. Sadly, I had no time to ponder the meaning of my cousin's expressions.  
  
I took off running toward the Labyrinth.  
  
Ordinarily, I run only when chased. I really hate to run, and I reserve the fact that I can do it rather well for the moments when it serves me best. This was just such a moment. I would, however, like to take this moment to say that I didn't really believe they would chase me. It honestly never crossed my mind that the Faerie King and the heir to the Goblin throne would deign to chase little ole me across the grounds of the Goblin Castle. I had a good head start when Varian exploded from the castle and took off after me. Jerrick followed his lead, after he reached the ground. He didn't drop the way I did, but as previously mentioned, he was quite a bit better at the drainpipe gambit then I was.  
  
I saw various other creatures standing around playing games and sipping beverages. I was almost certain I glimpsed tea sandwiches right after I nearly killed myself dodging a cricket bat. I grinned slightly. This was going to be a mess.  
  
It must have made an amusing sight, a train of royal and nearly royal folk dashing across the manicured lawns, leaping over croquet wickets, shoving people into punch bowls and generally leaving mayhem in our wake. Then Jerrick got smart. He stopped running, pointed at me and yelled "STOP HER!" at the top of his lungs.  
  
And when the Crown Prince says something, everyone jumps into action. I risked a look behind me once and noticed that Varian was gaining on me. Not that this piece of news really surprised me. It was that, combined with a growing number of strange living things following me that made me step up the running a little.  
  
It seemed like an eternity before I was finally able to dash inside the Labyrinth. From the moment on it was a series of twists and turns that not even I could keep track of until I was sure that I had lost each and every member of the party. And that was saying something, since I wasn't all that sure how many members of the Underground Garden Association or whoever they were had been added to our little parade. But, that goal accomplished, I drooped against a wall and began the process of reminding myself to breath. I reached out along that now familiar mental path to touch the ever-present force that seemed determined to turn my life upside down.  
  
//This had better be good. Really good.//  
  
//Wait...//  
  
Wait? WAIT? I nearly lose a lung and most of my pride getting down here, and the response to my sacrifice was 'hurry up and wait?'  
  
If I got myself out of this, I was never leaving the house again.  
  
I heard a soft footfall, and glanced up. A groan escaped before I could stop it and I raised myself slowly to a fully upright position. I hadn't really lost Varian. Oh no. He'd been close behind me the whole time. He didn't even have the decency to look winded. What he did look was pissed off. I tell you now boys and girls, gorgeous and pissed off is not a good combination.  
  
"Just what did you think you were doing?" he asked quietly, in what might have seemed a reasonable tone of voice to the causal observer. It was the eyes, practically aflame with anger that tipped me off. So I did the expedient thing. I backed up. That was before the tatters of my pride wove themselves into a full on battle flag, and as my sense of righteousness reasserted itself I stopped backing up. Varian noticed that, and it didn't make him happy.  
  
"You are a danger to the Labyrinth, the Underground and the all life on this planet. How could you do something so utterly stupid? You could have been killed, you could have been hurt, you could have destroyed the balance of life itself..."  
  
Okay, that was a little extreme.  
  
And I really hate being patronized.  
  
"Hold on a second," I said, getting more than a little pissed myself. "Who the hell do you think you are?"  
  
I never said that pride was a good emotion for me. It gets me into horribly bad situations just like this one. But once I was off, there was no stopping me. I had all this anger and frustration building up inside me, and I was just dying to let someone know exactly how I felt.  
  
Varian seemed like the perfect target.  
  
"You have no control over anything I do. You are not a relative. You're not even a friend! More than that, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and handling anything that comes my way!"  
  
"You are a spoiled, undisciplined child!"  
  
"Takes one to know one!"  
  
"There is a force residing in your body that is capable of obliterating life on this planet," Varian said, taking a step closer to me. I took a step up to match him. He was so not going to win this fight.  
  
"Maybe I can limit it to a blast that encompasses a finite amount of space. Like the one you are currently occupying," I shouted. We glared at each other for a moment before I rolled my eyes and decided that one of us had to be slightly mature. I started to stalk past him, heading back to the castle. Varian grabbed my arm. I twisted around, lost my balance and started falling. I grabbed Varian's shirt in some sort of vain attempt to prevent myself from losing my balance. It didn't work. Varian just fell right along with me - right on top of me, to be a little more precise. We stared at each other a moment, eye to eye, hip to hip. We both blinked.  
  
And our mouths met with a crashing force.  
  
It was one of those moments where you just act, and you don't really think about the possible consequences of your actions until your in the middle of doing whatever it is that you should have thought about doing. All the pent up sexual tension had led to the best possible result - full blown attraction, with more than a little desperate lust thrown in just to keep things interesting. I've had experience with kissing, and I fancy that I'm fairly good at it. But my experiences had never left fireworks exploding behind my eyelids. I reached up a hand, attempting to grab hold of an arm, or Varian's neck. I found his hand instead, which was nice, as his fingers immediately laced with mine. My other had was allowed to drift over his back, shoulders and neck, as Varian's other hand was doing some exploring of its own, mostly involving the front of my body. A mapping exploration, if you will. And I wasn't complaining.  
  
Varian's hair formed a curtain around our faces, and it felt like cobwebs brushing my skin. I smiled into the kiss and reveled in feelings I'd never experienced before, but had every intention of experiencing again. Damn he was good at this. It made me wonder what else the boy was good at.  
  
//Zora.//  
  
Reality to Zora. Come in Zora...nah.  
  
//Go away. I'm busy.//  
  
//I can see that. I need you.//  
  
//Come back in half an hour,// I thought just before Varian dropped his mouth to my neck. //Make that an hour. Or so.//  
  
//This cannot wait.//  
  
//It's about to. But as long as I've got you on the line, what's the deal with this?//  
  
//I know for a fact that desire exists in your world.//  
  
//That's all this is?//  
  
//Does that surprise you?//  
  
//So there's no prophecy or ancient curse attached to this possible relationship?//  
  
//No. Why do you ask?//  
  
//I just thought it would be more complicated than good old-fashioned hormones. Thanks. I'm tuning you out now.//  
  
//Zora...//  
  
//Buh-bye.//  
  
I gave all my concentration over to the business at hand. I felt a tremble run down the length of my body, and it wasn't internal. I felt my body moving up, but I didn't open my eyes to find out what was going on. It was Varian who broke the latest kiss and looked down at me, his cheeks tinged with a pale pink and his eyes shimmering. Literally. Little white lights dancing in his irises. Since I had shifting lines in my eyes and hair, this wasn't something I felt the need to be concerned about. I had a moment to ponder that before Varian looked around and broke eye contact. Since it seemed we were on hiatus for the moment, I looked around as well.  
  
We were now lying on some sort of alter, with a wide courtyard around us. There were patterns in the cobblestone floor, patterns that seemed to dance as I looked at them - patterns that held ancient significance and awesome power. Power, I knew instinctively, that had been forgotten by many and wielded by very few.  
  
//The Circle of Ages has been prepared. All is in readiness.//  
  
"It's the Circle of Ages," I told Varian, still looking around, feeling a deep resonance within my body. He nodded once, slowly, before looking back down at me.  
  
And we were off.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Eventually, Varian and I noticed that the hour was growing late. I attributed the fact that no one had found us in all this time to the notion that the Labyrinth was directly linked to me, and the last thing I wanted was to find myself surrounded by family members while I was in the middle of a serious make out session.  
  
Not that all we did involved kissing. We spent a lot of time talking, murmuring theories about life, personal values and family history. Turns out that Varian had led an interesting and intense life, that his parents were alive and well but had abdicated in his favor several years ago so that they could travel and pursue their own interests. Varian spoke of them with humor and a wry twist to his words. That was how I knew he loved them. I talk about my folks the same way.  
  
We had a great deal in common. We both liked traveling, debating, reading and learning new languages. Varian was a diplomat when it suited him, as blunt and sarcastic as I when he wanted to be. He promised to teach me how to dance. I promised to teach him blackjack and poker.  
  
Night fell over the Labyrinth as Varian and I lay in the Circle of Ages. We were lost in the honeymoon stage of a new relationship, and I was too busy being thrilled to wonder about the obstacles in our way. After all, I had a life and family in Aboveground - Varian had the same in the Underground. But right then, when our heads were close together and his arms were wrapped around me, I didn't give a damn.  
  
"We should get going," I said, turning my head toward the sky.  
  
"Indeed," Varian said, pushing a strand of hair off of my face. I smiled and sat up, sliding my legs off the side of the alter. I stretched out my legs and stood up slowly. Varian slid up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I tipped my head to the side to allow him greater access to my neck.  
  
"That's nice," I said, using the greatest understatement of the century just to say I had. Varian muttered his agreement.  
  
I think we actually managed to start walking several minutes later. It was slow going, but it seemed like seconds later we were wandering the grounds near the Goblin Castle, our hands linked. For a moment we stood in silence, looking into the indigo night sky and watching constellations that seemed strange to my eyes wink into existence. For all I knew they really were leaping into existence. I made a mental note to find out if that were even possible.  
  
It was a shock to notice that since the Circle of Ages had been born into the midst of the Labyrinth that I had not suffered a single power surge. That gave me the kind of hope that is normally reserved for the moment after I completed a final or an audition...the kind that could attach wings to my mind and allow it to fly into the future.  
  
"You seem pleased with yourself," Varien said, looking over at me. His eyes were still sparking. That was hopeful. I grinned.  
  
"Always, darling. Always. Though how you would know that is astonishing," I replied.  
  
"Your eyes are glowing," Varien returned quickly. That didn't surprise me. I was willing to bet that my whole body would be glowing if I gave it the chance.  
  
"Yours are sparking," I said. We both smiled at each other. It was a slow, shivery smile on his part. I hoped his smile meant the same thing mine did.  
  
"Not a single surge since the Circle of Ages appeared," I continued, speaking my thoughts aloud. "I feel almost normal."  
  
"I am a stabilizing influence," Varian smirked, and I elbowed him lightly in the side. He grabbed my arm, brushed his mouth across my forehead and I lifted my mouth to his. Our kissing had softened for the moment into cobwebs and silk, a warm and calming force that blew down my spine.  
  
This was so much fun.  
  
And that was when I heard the voices.  
  
"There they are!"  
  
Oh boy. Varian and I broke the kiss, each of us looking at the other. I knew that Deliah had a significant crush on the man that I was getting more and more involved with. Not that I was complaining, but this had to be dealt with carefully. The last thing I wanted to do was alienate a new found cousin and the members of my family who were trying to help me.  
  
By mutual agreement, Varian and I separated to a hand's length. I waited for a subtle signal that it was time to drop hands. I sure as hell wasn't going to give said signal, but I was willing to respect Varian's right to do so. He didn't give the signal. So I held on.  
  
I'm possessive like that.  
  
"Varian! Where have you been? I...we were worried." That was Deliah. Oh hero-worship. There is nothing like it in the world. For the time being, I was amused and indulgent, lost in nostalgic memories of my own brush with hero-worship. Indulgence morphed into something far more dangerous as Deliah, paying no attention to our linked hands, proceeded to check Varian for bodily injuries. With her hands. Varian responded indulgently. I considered sucker punching my cousin for a second before dismissing the thought. Just wait for Dad to show up. He'd put an end to this.  
  
"Zora, Varian, how good to see you. Deliah, help your mother with the twins," Jareth said, his voice sliding over the night and blending in with it. Deliah reluctantly disengaged and I watched my uncle, cousin and brother stride across the grounds toward us. Jerrick noticed our linked hands and laughed aloud. Jareth raised an eyebrow. My brother groaned. Deliah looked confused. Her confused look faded fast after Varian unlinked our hands and wrapped an arm around my waist. I responded by leaning into his body before I remembered that I didn't want to alienate my cousins. Jerrick looked delighted. Deliah seemed a little pissed off.  
  
Fortunately for momentary sanity, unfortunately for future familial harmony, Jareth chose that moment to make an announcement.  
  
"The Elders have arrived. The Circle of Ages has formed. We are prepared."  
  
"Speak for yourself," I quipped, thinking of those patterns and the power of the Labyrinth itself. It could destroy me, no question. And yet somehow, I felt that if I died, it wouldn't be the Labyrinth that killed me. Oddly, that was a comforting thought. Varian hugged me closer and I prepared myself for battle. I raised an eyebrow and grinned at my uncle and cousins.  
  
"What are we waiting for?" 


	12. Every Time It Rains

Drum roll please. Here we have the latest installment of Devil's Rain. Once again it has taken an eon for the update – my sincere apologies and thanks to everyone who reviewed and IM'd me about this fic. I appreciate it more than I can say.

_Italics _- telepathy/voice of the Labyrinth

Disclaimer: Chapter title provided by Ace of Base, copyrighted characters belong to their respective owners and my DVD collection belongs to me. So everyone's happy.

Devil's Rain

By Lyra Matsuoka

Rated PG-13

Chapter 12 : Every Time It Rains

Back in the good old days, when I was not thought to be a reasonable and responsible adult, I would ask my father to make it rain. For some reason completely incomprehensible to my parents, I loved the rain. Every time it rained I would insist upon going outside to run around. The only thing I disliked was that clouds were a necessity for rain. And I enjoyed the sun. So the only thing I wanted was for it to rain and be sunny at the same time.

And on my seventh birthday I got exactly what I wanted.

I woke up to a clear sunny day, and I ran downstairs to enjoy my birthday pancakes with my family. And somewhere in between a tuneless rendition of Happy Birthday and cleaning up the mess, I noticed that it had begun to rain. Rain on a sunny day. I screamed, hugged my father – because to my childish brain it was my father who was the miracle worker in this situation – and ran outside to bask in the sunshine and the falling rain. The rain was warm, and the sunshine made the drops sparkle like diamonds where they splashed on my skin and my hair. And as I twirled and danced on the yard, I heard my mother give this strange and wonderful phenomenon a name.

"Devil's rain," she muttered. "It rained like this the day she was born, do you remember?"

My father nodded. "My grandmother used to say that it was a blessing – a perfect mix of weather, almost a mix of two worlds."

And so, it turned out, was I.

_-------------------_

When Uncle J said that we were prepared, I sort of freaked out. But wanting to get this done quickly and actually being able to get it done quickly were two very different things as it turned out. And forming the Circle of Ages required almost nothing on my part. My loudly voiced threats had apparently been incentive enough for all the magical beings in the Underground to head for their respective kingdoms and beg for assistance and cooperation. The Labyrinth formed the physical location all by itself. Negotiations for forming the Circle, as well as putting the finishing touches on the research which described exactly how we were supposed to form it put a slight delay on the plans, netting me a slight window of roughly 2 Underground days. And that netted me a permanent escort - my brother, who had decided that the Underground was far more interesting than his high school. Having attended that same high school, I could only agree. And so it was that my brother and I explored the castle beyond the Goblin City along with the Goblin City itself in the few days that it took the Council to go from "ready" to "really super-duper ready". And for most of that, Varian and I were glued to each other. Varian and I got to be all lovey-dovey, Zach got to perfect his imitation vomiting, and Deliah polished up her glaring, so everyone was happy.

It was interesting to get to know the newest members of my family, more than interesting to explore the Labyrinth and its various environs. But deep in my heart I knew that these days of tranquility wouldn't last much longer. The time when various members of Underground royalty could stall the inevitable or pretend that the entire population of the world stood upon the brink of catastrophe was rapidly coming to a close.

But of course, no one ever listens to me.

Because I needed to be alone, and because my brother was more than a little tired of watching me every minute to make certain that I didn't spontaneously combust, I found myself standing on the edge of the Circle of Ages on bright afternoon, watching the stones and thinking about the possible repercussions of this ritual.

_You will heal the Underground._

_Thanks. That's very comforting. It would be more comforting to know if I would manage to come through this alive._

The response? Silence. That had been the response each and every time I asked about the possibility of me dying during this foray into the metaphysical.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the patterned stones that swirled down to connect at the altar. The stones were sectioned out with deep grooves on the curve of the swirl. From above it must have looked like a gigantic pinwheel. It had been explained to me that the magic I released would be funneled down these grooves and out to various environs. In theory, powerful Fae would be standing on the outskirts of the Circle of Ages, channeling the magic and preventing it from flooding across the Underground.

How they planned on doing this, I had absolutely no idea.

I stood beside the altar and ran my hands over its smooth surface. The stone was as white as a perfect block of Carrara marble, and it felt like solid silk to the touch. Without thinking of the consequences I lifted my body onto the block and stretched out atop it. It was wide enough that I could extend my arms slightly to the sides and more than long enough to accommodate my height. Surprisingly, it wasn't painful to lie on as stone has a tendency to be.

I hadn't forgotten that most of the lovely folks in the castle believed me to be more than just a spokesperson for the Labyrinth. And it hadn't been that long ago that I'd been hanging loose and free in the mortal world. And yet they believed that I was the first in a brand new race of creatures. And I knew, the instant I lay upon that slab of stone, that that was very true. The Labyrinth had existed since time before time. It provided a haven for the goblins, but the goblins were not of the Labyrinth. It allowed other species to occupy a space within its wall, but they too were not creatures of the Labyrinth. But the Labyrinth had been patient in the centuries, patient because it was certain in the knowledge that someone was coming. It had scrutinized those mortals who had passed through it, had aided Sarah because it believed she was the one it waited and longed for. And when her destiny was revealed, the Labyrinth returned to waiting. And finally, finally, the one it waited for had arrived.

I felt love flow around and through me. I would make it through this ritual alive because the Labyrinth would not allow harm to come to me. And somewhere in the love and the welcome, I felt the iron core of purpose.

And for the first time, I realized that I would not be able to leave the Underground.

Not because the Labyrinth would prevent my leaving; I would simply be unable to survive without a direct link to it. Eventually I would fade from the mortal realm. The shock of this revelation slammed into my mind and refused to calm. I wouldn't be able to finish college. My freshman year, my plans, my goals – those had all been blown away the instant I grabbed a hold of Zane and threw myself after the Goblin King and my sister. I was changed.

Stunned, I sat upright. A dozen arguments flew through my mind, and I aimed them at the shadow of a presence that rested quietly in a corner of my consciousness. They were all brushed aside by the immovable resolve and unshakable patience of this grand and terrible maze. My home. My prison.

Unable to control myself, I began to shake. It had never occurred to me that I might not be able to return home. The thought of losing all of that in an instant and worse, to have lost it without realizing that I had, was horrific and the pain it brought was crushing. Unable to control myself I began to cry. Tears splashed on the marble and it only made me cry harder when I realized that my tears were gold. I had lost everything that was dearest to my heart.

I had no idea that I was no longer alone until I heard the sound of running feet. I didn't bother to look up, to busy replaying images of my childhood to be concerned with any one else in the vicinity. Arms folded around me and I struggled against them, tired of being watched and waited upon. But the arms stayed firm and I eventually sagged against them, to involved in my own pain to care much what anyone else thought or felt.

I heard words vaguely flowing through my brain, and registered that they weren't English. They were beautiful, but spoken in a language that reminded me of gentle breezes and autumn nights. Peaceful and cool words meant to soothe.

"Zora, Zora."

Now that I understood. I raised my tearstained face and looked straight into Varian's eyes and nearly lost control again.

"I can't go home," I whispered, my eyes filling again. Varian shook his head.

"You can return Aboveground, Zora. Your family is not lost to you."

"But I can't stay there! I have to come back here! What about my life? My friends, my goals and plans? I had a future! And now..."

"Now your future is just slightly altered. It is not such a large change. You will survive it well. There are so many wonderful things to see in the Underground, Zora. I will show you," he promised, lowering his forehead to mine. My arms were still wrapped tightly around his waist, and he was holding me just as tightly.

"Everything will be just fine, Zora. That I promise you."

"Easy for you to say. You have a home and a wardrobe and everything here. How am I going to live here? I need to find a job. Am I qualified to do anything?"

The panic was building again, and Varian calmed me by simply kissing me into silence. This was not only a wise course of action, but a pleasant one, and it had the dual results of calming me down and stopping me from crying. In another person these two might have been synonymous, but not for me. Sometimes I kept crying regardless of whether or not I felt the need to continue doing so. This was not one of those times.

"Better?" Varian asked, stroking strands of damp hair away from my face. I nodded and exhaled slowly, turning my face up toward the sky.

"How can I stay here?" I asked. The question was rhetorical, and I hadn't expected an answer. I didn't receive one. Varian just stood in front of me, holding my hand and lending his support for the very frightening emotions that were ripping through me. "I can't work here. I don't belong here. I need to go home."

"You do belong here, dearest. You are a part of the Labyrinth and when this business is concluded you will be a part of the Underground. You are as much a citizen of this place as any creature I know."

"Thank you for that. But that wasn't what I meant."

"I know. But it is the truth, nevertheless."

"I can go home for short periods though, right? I mean, I don't have to leave my family?"

"Not at all. Zane has been able to pass through the boundaries of this world and his. Your family is special. Not as special as you, but special."

"You said 'his world'. Not 'your world'." My confused mind picked up on that slight change of pronoun and I felt like crying again.

"This is your world, Zora. This is our world, yours and mine."

"I'll go nuts if I don't have a job," I tried to be flip, just to get back into my groove. It worked, in a twisted way. Varian suddenly looked very serious, and I reached out to touch his face.

"What's the matter, babe? I wasn't serious. Well, I was, but me needing a job doesn't freak you out, does it? I mean, it's just how I was raised."

"Actually, I was thinking that I have a job you might enjoy," Varian said, his voice as serious as his face. I started to get nervous.

"Really? I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I'm going to need a job description before I launch into anything. I've learned my lesson about leaping before I look."

"The job I have in mind requires diplomacy, tact, a will of iron and an impeccable fashion sense."

"Sounds perfect so far. Tell me more."

"The hours are somewhat long, but the rewards are many and this particular position would have many advantages for you. You wouldn't be that far from the Labyrinth or your new found relatives and it would give you the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the Underground."

If I wasn't much mistaken, Varian was blushing. I found this interesting and rather unsettling.

"I'm not seeing a down side. Job sounds interesting, though I'm not sure I'm fully qualified to do it."

"You're perfect for the position."

"You sound pretty confident. Good to know that you have faith in me." I took a deep breath. "All right, lay it on me. What's the job?"

Varian looked straight into my eyes. I got a funny feeling in my stomach and was just thinking how big a dent throwing up on him would put in our relationship when he said the very last thing I was expecting him to say.

"My guest and..." he cleared his throat and my eyebrows shot way up. "And my companion. Come home with me, Zora. Let me show you my kingdom."

And suddenly, being stuck in the Underground forever and a day didn't seem like such a bad deal. It wasn't like Varian had asked me to marry him or anything, and even though I knew nothing about being a hostess, Sarah could probably give me a few pointers. This could be fun. And the Underground was vast, with all sorts of magical beings. This could be kind of fun.

Let it never be said that my life is boring.

-------------------------

Varian calmed me the rest of the way down, and then informed me why he'd been able to find me so quickly. Turns out that the Circle of Ages was ready and set to go, and I was kind of an integral part of the ceremony. Who knew? He escorted me back to the castle where everyone started bowing as we walked past; this was odd only because I had the distinct impression that they were bowing to me, which had never happened before. This notion was confirmed when Varian left me outside the door to my room with a formal bow and a kiss on my hand. I took a deep breath as I closed my door, leaning back against the solid wood in a final attempt to calm myself down.

I pulled on a set of silver robes that I had been instructed to wear for just this occasion. I was actually afraid for my life if I didn't wear them. I was standing in my room, staring at my reflection in the mirror when the door opened and Aunt Sarah stepped through. I managed a weak smile as all the doubts I had been suffering for the last few weeks came crashing down on me. Aunt Sarah was wearing her crown and a lovely burgundy silk that complimented her hair wonderfully. I hadn't noticed before, but Aunt Sarah and I had a very similar hair color.

"So it's time."

Again the weak smile. I was starting to feel nauseous. Maybe I'd die and all these tough and emotionally trying choices could be left for another lifetime.

"I think I'm either going to throw up or pass out. I can't decide which."

"Pass out. If you throw up you'll have to take a shower and change your clothes, and we don't really have time to do either."

That made me laugh. It was a little pathetic, since my feelings were anything but stable. And in the end, it accomplished almost nothing.

"I know that going down to the Labyrinth doesn't change anything really. I know that – I'm already as different as I'm likely to get. But I don't know if..."

"If you're ready for it? I should hope not, Zora. You'll do this, because you have no choice. And when you're done, your life is your own again."

"I'm not sure that's true."

"I know it is. It was true for me," Sarah said, raising her eyebrows.

"Apparently I can't go home. And a girl can't just sit around."

There it was. My wit was returning. I wouldn't have to send out a search party after all.

"My darling girl, everything in this world will be shaped by the magic you release today. You in your turn will be shaped by it. But it will not change you; you were different when you arrived. As was I. This is where you belong Zora. I know that as surely as I know it is where I belong. We share a bloodline, you and I, and our lives are bound to the Labyrinth."

"Well, that was inspirational."

"I didn't think that go, fight, win was appropriate to this situation."

"There are very few situations where go, fight, win can't be used. It seems sort of right to me," I muttered.

"But it's so terribly..." she looked at me, I looked at her, and we both cracked up. The Goblin Queen and the Savior of the Underground, laughing about a high school cheer.

These were good times.

Aunt Sarah held out her hand, and I took it. We stood for a moment, our love of the Labyrinth reflecting in our eyes. Then we linked arms and walked out the door to face the Circle of Ages.


	13. Not Long At All

Disclaimer: It's not mine. I admit it. I am coping with it day by day.

Devil's Rain

by Lyra Matsuoka

Rated PG-13

Chapter 13 : Not Long At All

I wasn't sure what to expect as Sarah and I walked out of the castle. Call me crazy, but I hadn't really gotten over the meeting where a roomful of magical beings were on the fence about whether or not to let me die. It did tend to make a girl skittish about groups. We passed into the sun and I stopped for a moment to allow my eyes the chance to adjust, blinking rapidly against the sudden and somewhat blinding light. Sarah paused beside me, and I felt the drift of air as another person stepped up to my other side. I opened my eyes and looked at my brother, dressed in the same fashion as any other noble Fae I'd had the chance to meet, right down to the tight breeches and leather boots. I promptly squeezed my eyes shut.

"Wow. Those pants fall into the category of too much information, thank you."

Zane grinned and looked down at his outfit. "Too much?"

"Too little. I think I've been mentally scarred."

"It's about to get worse. Check out your fan club," Zane said, turning his head

toward the Labyrinth. I turned my head as well, and my jaw dropped. Standing all over the field were all the creatures of the Underground. Okay, that's probably an exaggeration, but all the races were surely represented. And yes, I was gaping. I'm woman enough to admit that I was more than a little impressed by this turnout. I'd known intellectually that a representative of each race would be present at this get together, but I'd sort of focused on the 'one representative' part of that equation. It would seem that each representative brought an entourage. Big surprise there, now that I thought about it.

They were all lined up forming a path down to the Labyrinth, and for the most part they weren't paying any attention to me. But as I watched, one by one they turned to look toward the castle and toward me. I raised my hand automatically and gave an awkward little wave. Silence.

"Why are they here?" I whispered, trying to keep a smile on my lips. Zane hid a grin with one hand while Sarah lifted her chin in a queenly manner. I envied her that ability; she was wonderfully comfortable in this sort of situation while I felt badly out of place. I watched as Sarah started forward, walking down the path with her head held. Every movement of her body screamed 'I am special and important and if you don't get out of my way I will crush you like this insect you are.' Several of those grouped near the path bowed automatically, which spoke highly of their sense of self preservation, but their eyes weren't on her. They were all watching me. As if I weren't under enough pressure already. I was more and more unable to control the bursts of energy passing through me, I had to allow more of said energy to flow through my body before I popped like a balloon filled with too much air, and I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. I'd thought there were going to be only a few witnesses what could be a rather terrible and humiliating event in my personal history. But no, not me. I got a Super Bowl sized audience. I'm just that lucky.

I resisted the urge to turn tail and run like the dickens. I didn't really care where I ended up as long as it was far, far away from where I was now. Zane grabbed my arm and tucked it through his. I didn't shrug him off. It was good to know that he was there.

_Do not fear. All shall be well. _

_Yeah. Great. Color me reassured. Explain to me one more time why I have to do this?_

_There is no other._

"Zora?" Zane murmured, steering me gently toward the Labyrinth.

"I'm okay," I said, reclaiming my arm and a tattered shred of dignity. I remembered as I entered the Labyrinth that this place was now my home; I had no choice in the matter, and probably never had. This maze had waited for centuries to create a race of beings all its own, and I was the first. I was as much a creature of the Underground as those who stood outside the walls of the Labyrinth and waited to learn their fate. I was not now nor would I ever be alone. But more important, everything in this land was looking to me to save them from something that they didn't fully understand. I didn't really have a choice in that, either.

I hadn't registered walking, but when I came out of my thoughts I was standing at the edge of the Circle of Ages. Creatures ringed the alter that stood in the center and all eyes were fixed on me. I saw Jareth standing to one side and I knew without looking that Sarah had moved around me and towards him. That was as it should be; no one could follow where I had to go.

I turned to look at Zane, aware that there were tears welling in my eyes. His looked suspiciously moist as he wrapped me in a rib cracking hug.

"Come back, okay? I don't really want to explain to Grandma why you died on an altar."

"Fair enough," I said, a laugh escaping through my very tight throat. I brushed a hand across my eyes and shook my head when the gold liquid formed glittering trails down my fingers. Even after our recent adventures I was taken aback by the depth of my feeling for my little brother. I'd been told for years that this love develops over time between siblings close in age, which was always hard to believe when you had water balloons raining down on your head. But boy did I believe them now. I squeezed Zane's hand and stepped back, turning slowly to face the Circle and whatever awaited me within it. I stepped inside the Circle and felt it come to life. Power was rising, and I knew that the time was coming when I wouldn't be able to hold it back. I took two more steps and stopped, doubling over as pain shot through me.

_It comes, beloved. _

_Thanks for the newsflash._

I wasn't terribly surprised that no one ran forward to help me make it the rest of the way. After all, everyone in the circle had a part to play and none of those parts involved leaving their post to help a potentially explosive element reach her predestined location. So I was on my own. Surprisingly, once I realized that no one was going to help me it made it just a little easier to make it the rest of the way. I'd love to tell you that I straightened my spine and marched over to the altar ready to do battle. Sadly, I panted my way through the next few steps, grateful when the altar was within reach. It was much easier to stay upright once I had something to hold on to. My hands pressed down on the marble as I hauled my body into position. Once I was sprawled on my back with the cool marble supporting me I closed my eyes and thought seriously about dying from embarrassment.

"This whole thing was way more graceful in my head," I muttered, wincing as a wave of sensation rose up inside me. I tried to sit up, desperate to see what was happening. I was dimly aware of chanting and a part of my brain registered that the ritual had begun. Waves of magic were building up inside me, stretching my mind to its limit. I finally pushed myself up on my elbows and looked around. Nothing was happening. All the Elders had their arms raised to the sky, palms in, eyes closed. All of them were chanting and obviously concentrating, but nothing was happening.

The surges of power inside me grew more intense and I groaned. I'd actually forgotten how much it hurt to be battered by magical forces beyond personal control. And that was when it hit me – I was glowing. Not glowing in a gentle, comforting way, but glowing in a 'look out, she's gonna blow' kind of way. And to add an extra twist of fun, the glow was internal. My body was actually glowing, not just surrounded by light. I gasped as the magical glow intensified and I looked at my chest. I had just enough time to register that my solar plexus was glowing more brightly than anything else before the world exploded and took me with it.

I knew, vaguely, that the chanting had increased. I even knew that whatever was happening to my body probably hurt like hell, but somehow I had moved beyond that. I heard singing, of all things. And it was a song I knew, lilting through the air and surrounding the Labyrinth and me.

"Dance, magic dance," I murmured as the golden glow intensified to the level of the sun and I closed my eyes, accepting whatever came next.

What came next, I was not expecting.

I opened my eyes and found myself standing on my own two feet, in my jeans sweater coat, exactly as I had looked when I first arrived in the Labyrinth. I didn't need a mirror to know that there were no shifting lines in my eyes and that my hair had no gold highlights. I was, for a moment, just Zora.

I turned slowly, nearly breaking my neck as I stumbled over a pile of trash. No, I thought as I straightened, grateful that no one had been around to witness my display, not trash. Junk. Broken toys, broken chairs, mismatched napkins and enormous piles of god only knows what; the flotsam and jetsam that humans accumulate and discard without much thought. I was in the junkyard. It was endless, stretching as far as I could see. And it was starting to creep me out. I felt a shiver race down my spine as I turned slowly, looking for a hint as to why I was here. As I looked at the piles and piles of discarded items I could see familiar things floating to the surface. The tablecloth I'd shredded to make a superhero cape, the notebook I'd doodled in all through Spanish I instead of taking notes. There was my favorite doll, lost in one of the many moves I'd been subjected to as our family grew by leaps and bounds. I dug her out, brushing the tangled and matted curls off her face as I stared at other remnants from my past. A crash came from behind me and I turned to find myself facing the woman who roamed the Junkyard and who found those things that had been lost. She reached into her robes and held out a crystal orb, shining from within.

"If you turn it this way, it will show you your dreams," I murmured, reaching for the crystal. My fingertips brushed against it, my hand grasped and held. It was the crystal I had carried with me through the Labyrinth at first, the crystal I had used to channel the power of the Labyrinth for the first time. The crystal I had shattered to escape the oubliette I'd been trapped in. As I watched, the crystal flattened and absorbed into my skin, slipping into my veins and waking the crystal stream that coiled within my body. I looked up at the junk woman and smiled. She smiled madly in return and reached toward me. I stepped back automatically and fell into nothing.

I landed softly and looked around, surprised to find myself surrounded by topiary bushes and decorative pots. There was glitter on the stones and the sky above was clear – I had returned to the center of the Labyrinth. I turned and saw a stone chair carved in the shape of books. In that chair sat the Wiseman.

"I have been waiting for you," he said, and I nodded slowly. That made perfect sense. Some part of me had been waiting for him as well.

"It is good to see you, my dear, and to see what my endeavors have wrought in you."

"I thank you," I said, inclining my head slightly.

"No, you do not. But the Labyrinth does, and has, and will again. It thanks me, and that is enough."

"Is she a sacrifice then?" I said, surprised and not surprised to hear myself say those words. In this time and place, I knew, I was not alone in my body.

"No. She is the fulfillment of this place, the final stone set and held. She completes it, and that is enough. It has always been enough."

"Always?"

"Always."

"And so the master builder has completed his masterpiece," I said.

"As it was always meant to be, I have made it. And with this final stone I have fulfilled my promise and my duty."

"You will leave, then? Leave this place to its own destiny and its own design?"

"I will leave it to itself, as I always intended to do. There is no longer a place for me here."

"But wither shall you wander, love, and when shall you return?" I whispered, feeling tears welling in my eyes and knowing with all certainty that the Labyrinth was speaking through me. Speaking, it would seem, to its creator and master.

"To another dream, another creation, another place where magic is scarce and belief is something to be hidden. And start again," the Wiseman said, his voice gaining new strength as he spoke. He rose slowly and shuffled down from his chair, and I crossed to him just as slowly.

"You are ever welcome here."

"Though I shall not return, I thank you. I will leave you to your wild magic and to the imagination of the Underground." I saw, as the Wiseman turned to face me, that there was a light in his eyes that spoke of passions fulfilled and dreams newly created. My eyes welled again, and he brushed calloused fingers across my cheeks. I knew then that there was more here than I would ever understand, and that was just fine with me. The Wiseman looked into my eyes, and I knew that he looked not at me, but at the active force speaking through me.

"Do not weep, love. It's only forever."

"Not long at all," I whispered, bending down to kiss the weathered old cheek. I felt the dream dissolving as my lips brushed against his flesh.

I hovered, insubstantial but aware, over the Labyrinth and the Circle of Ages. My body was floating above the altar and the golden light that had previously been only a glow was now shooting out in all directions, prevented from leaving the circle by the chanting of the Elders. I watched as the light grew in intensity and the Elders squeezed their eyes shut though continuing to chant. I saw those beings who had come to watch me walk from the castle to the Labyrinth begin to chant as well, lending their strength to their leaders. I watched as the light became solid liquid gold, and knew the exact moment when the Circle of Ages could no longer contain it.

At that moment, the light began funneling away, down the grooves carved in the floor and into the various Elders who stood at their end. The raw magic pushed through them and out, spearing into the sky and out. It was like a wave that spread in all directions, pushing out to cover the Underground. And I felt the Underground come to life beneath it. Long dormant creatures and plants were awakening, cities thought dead were returning to life.

The Underground was alive.

_Well done, beloved. _

I smiled and watched as the magic of the Labyrinth was shared with all of the people in the Underground. A place so powerfully believed in was no small thing, and the Labyrinth was joyful in the sharing of its strength. So, in turn, was I.

My body looked horribly limp, even if it was hanging in midair. After all, my soul was floating with the Labyrinth and the cloud of magic it was dispersing. Without thought of the consequences I let myself fly, seeing the creatures of the Labyrinth and knowing that it was alive. The stones themselves were alive, and that was as it should be.

A master plan fulfilled.

I turned my eyes toward the hill that rose above the Labyrinth and saw the silhouette of the Wiseman as he walked away. I lifted my arm and waved, but I wasn't surprised when he continued hobbling away. His work here was finished, his greatest work complete.

All I had to do was not screw it up.

I watched the golden tide shifting over the Labyrinth, being absorbed into it once again. It was a beautiful sight, but I felt myself being pulled inexorably toward the Labyrinth. I drifted closer and felt the pull intensify. The Labyrinth wanted to be whole, and I was a part of it. It was natural that it would try to absorb me as well, completing the puzzle. I considered it for a split second, considered living as part of such magic. It took about a tenth of a second to reject that idea. I shook my head slowly.

_I can't live within you._

I saw, suddenly, golden threads shooting toward the Labyrinth from all directions. They were shining with an almost incandescent light, and I could almost feel the belief vibrating from them as they connected with the Labyrinth. I knew without knowing how that these were the conduit of belief from Aboveground, the hopes and wishes of all those who believed in the Labyrinth and in the world of the Fae. These were the threads that connected the Aboveground to the Underground. They sustained the magic of both places throughout the centuries using the only things that remained constant – imagination and belief. Dreams fueled this world, and there was something astonishing and magnificent about that.

From very far away, I heard a clock begin to chime. One, two, three, I counted silently as the clock continued to chime. I watched as the last of the golden tide was absorbed into the land, and knew that my task had been completed. Eleven, twelve; I sighed quietly and waved goodbye to my old life. It was gone now, most likely for good and I wasn't sure I'd have been able to return to it anyway. There's something about seeing the threads of the Universe that changes a person.

Thirteen.

I heard the chime from far away and wasn't terribly surprised when gravity reasserted itself and I slammed back into my body. It would have been painful if I hadn't been far beyond pain. I opened my eyes and saw that the golden glow emanating from me had dimmed and continued to dim even as I watched. The Elders had lowered their arms and all eyes were on me.

I've always loved being the center of attention. And far be it from me not to give the nice folks a show.

Golden sparks showered down on the Circle, and I watched as the Circle itself retreated into the Labyrinth, leaving behind a beautiful crystal floor. I saw that the pinwheel pattern remained etched into the crystal, evidence of what had passed here. The Labyrinth did not forget. I felt full, stretched to my limits but with the sure knowledge that I was limitless. I felt every rustle in every corner of the Labyrinth. We were connected in a way that I had only felt a fraction of before. We were truly one. I could bend the Labyrinth and its power to my will, and it could make itself heard through me. The strength of the Labyrinth surrounded me, and I was home.

And it hurt in ways I can't even begin to describe.

Every part of my body was in pain. That I could have dealt with, but the magic inside me made my mind think that it was invincible while my body begged for a hot shower and a week at a spa. Between the two, it was probably for the best that I was floating twenty feet above any solid surface. I wasn't sure I could handle touching or being touched.

But the universe so rarely takes things like that into consideration. The show, ladies and gentlemen, was over. And if the show was over, there wasn't much of a reason for me to stay up in the air. I had a split second to realize this before I dropped. Think Wily Coyote after he runs into thin air. Thankfully, there were a whole bunch of super magical beings below me with the decency and presence of mind to catch me. Or try to. They all tried at once, which sent spells and castings flying at me from all directions. The Labyrinth perceived this as an attack and shielded me from it, which would have been cool had I not still been falling. Then all that flying magic sort of crashed into itself and made some truly spectacular displays. There might have been pink elephants. But somehow, one of the spells caught me and lowered me gently to the ground. I was set gently on my feet, and promptly collapsed. Hey, try siphoning centuries of raw magic through your body and see how hot you feel.

But in spite of all the pain, and all that I had lost and gained, and in spite of the truly annoying voices that were yelling all around me, I felt an indescribable calm settle over me. The balance had shifted, and the power of the Labyrinth was healing the Underground even as I tried to summon the strength to open my eyes. There were warm arms wrapped around me, a hand stroking my hair back from my face. The pain was fading, for which I was deeply grateful. I'd pretty much made up my mind not to open my eyes until the pain went away, so it was probably a good thing that I didn't hurt quite as much as I had before.

_Thank you, _the voice whispered inside my head, and I felt the presence retreat to a deeper part of my mind. I felt my lips turn up in a smile, and heard the reaction from the crowd of people that were doubtless standing all around me. I summoned my strength and cracked my eyes open. Varian's face was about three inches from mine, and I jumped a little seeing him so close. Of course, it made sense. Someone was holding me up, since I could only feel the cool crystal on my legs. Of course, if I could feel the crystal on my legs…

"Could I get a robe or something?" I croaked, realizing that somewhere between climbing on the alter and falling to the ground, a good half of my dress had vanished. Of course, the sentence didn't really emerge as a sentence. It came out as a groan. I would have made more noise about it, but that seemed a little on the silly side, all things considered. And when I opened my eyes to take stock of the situation, I noted that the dress was now more like a ragged sundress than anything else. I had pajamas that showed more skin. So I decided not to worry about it overly much.

"Zora. Zora, talk to me. Come on, say something."

I swallowed a few times, trying to work up the energy to speak again. It took a while to get it together, but everyone seemed so worried and hover-y that I thought it would be best if I gave them some indication that I was conscious and aware.

"I want a brownie," I muttered, and heard Zach give a watery laugh. I opened my eyes again and found my brother kneeling next to me, obviously afraid to touch me.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," he said in response, brushing quickly at his eyes. "You want a brownie, huh? I'm not sure that was worth a brownie. A cookie maybe. One of those vending machine, pre-packaged kind."

"Everyone's a critic," I muttered, making no effort to stand up. All in all, it was kind of nice to just lay back and let someone else worry about how things were going to be explained, organized and arranged. I was doing just fine on the ground. "I'm going to pass out, okay?"

"Okay," Zach said, his hand closing over mine. "Okay."

____________________________________

I woke in the light and the quiet.

I lay in the silence for a few minutes and kept my eyes closed, enjoying the golden glow behind my eyelids. It was calm, soothing. I also took a moment to note that my body didn't hurt quite as much as it had before I passed out. In fact, it barely hurt at all. I felt like I'd run several miles and then lifted weights; my muscles ached in a pleasant manner, but nothing really hurt. That was a good thing, I was pretty sure.

I opened my eyes and blinked slowly. I was alone, back in my room in the castle. I couldn't hear anything outside the window, and there weren't even hushed noises that people make when they're moving quietly through a room or hallways. The whole world was quiet, for one blissful moment. I turned my head to the side and stretched carefully. My muscles protested, but gave way slowly under the force of my will.

I closed my eyes again and relaxed against the sheets. They really were amazingly soft – I wondered faintly what kind of material they were made of, though I suspected that I wouldn't necessarily believe the answer. That thought made me smile and roll my eyes at myself. After everything that had happened to me, it was amusing that I could still find room to disbelieve anything at all. Especially something as close to ordinary as bed sheets made of moonbeams and cobwebs.

It was this thought that got me thinking about the Labyrinth, which managed to wipe the smile off my face fairly effectively. After all, I'd just been through hell for a place that, number one, wasn't supposed to exist, and number two, might not be done with me. Not that the whole experience hadn't been character forming and enlightening, but I had no interest in repeating it ever, ever again. Growing more nervous by the moment, I reached for the crystal stream and felt it coiling slowly in my core. It was there if I needed it, but what I felt rippling through my system was nothing like the searing and unstoppable magic that had torn through me so recently. That, along with the terrible pressure behind it, was gone. And that was a relief I could barely begin to describe.

The Circle of Ages had worked, my sister was back safe and sound with my parents, by brother and I had made it through the Labyrinth, and I was still alive. I started grinning and just couldn't stop. I was alive. Hot damn.

I heard a soft tap on the door and turned toward it in time to see my brother peek his head inside. He saw me grinning and sitting up and he started grinning like an idiot, just standing there in the doorway.

"Don't just stand there! Is she awake?" someone hissed from behind him.

"Yeah," Zane said, still staring at me.

"Then get out of the way," Deliah said, shoving him unceremoniously into the room. She walked in purposefully, followed by Merry and Asher who came straight to the bed and climbed up beside me. I love little kids. They can tell if you're too hurt to be bothered and won't treat you like you're made of glass when you obviously feel fine. And apart from being a little sore, I felt better than I had in days.

"Mother told us not to bother you if you were sleeping. But since you aren't, this is all right, isn't it?" Merry asked as she snuggled in to my side. Asher just looked deep into my eyes for a moment before nodding sagely and giving me a hug. I returned it, wondering as I did what this kid had seen as he searched my eyes. Whatever it was, it was clearly enough. He wasn't worried, and I didn't see any real reason to be concerned if he wasn't.

"This is just fine," I told Merry as I released her brother and ruffled his hair for good measure. "I always love visitors."

Merry giggled. "We're not visitors!"

"We live here," Asher confirmed sagely. I sighed once and shook my head in an exaggerated manner before doing my duty as an older cousin and tickling the both of them into submission. Within seconds the room was filled with squeals of laughter.

"You seem to be feeling better," Deliah said from her dignified position near the window. I looked up at her, my hair a mess and grinned.

"Yep, that's me. Fast healer, dry wit, regularly leaping tall buildings in a series of bounds. I'm just that impressive."

Deliah stared at me for a second and then surprised me be cracking a smile. She looked down and shook her head before looking back at me. "You're clearly feeling just fine. That being the case, Mother and Father would like to see you in the throne room. You have a few visitors."

"Did they bring chocolate? When a girl is sick, she deserves chocolate," I said, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and shooing everyone out of the room. The nightgown was lovely, but hardly throne room appropriate. Of course, if I remembered the throne room accurately, rubber boots and survival gear might serve me best. Sadly, this was not a wardrobe option. So I selected a burgundy silk dress straight out of a Renaissance Faire, ran a brush through my hair and left with my brother and cousins.

We wound our way through the twisting hallways and confusing staircases, and I wondered again if the builder had been actively consuming some sort of mind alerting substance at the time of design. Eventually we arrived at two large doors that looked enormously heavy and which Delia opened simply my touching a pendant that she wore around her neck to the wood of the door. They swung open and we stepped inside.

There wasn't a crowd in the room. In fact, it was almost empty. I saw Jareth and Sarah standing with a small crowd of people near their thrones and got a little mushy inside when I saw Varian standing tall and straight near Jerrick, deeply involved in discussion. I also noticed a rather sizable heap of packages in a corner. I hoped they were for me. I really like presents.

Zane and I stepped forward and everyone stopped talking. Deliah, Merry and Asher hurried over to their parents, though Deliah took a little more time getting there. Zane and I sort of sauntered over, preferring to give the impression that we weren't awed by what we saw. Everyone was decked out in full royal regalia, crowns and everything. It was a sight to see, and I was suddenly glad that I had gone with the burgundy silk. I didn't feel quite so undressed while wearing it.

"Zora," Sarah said, stepping forward to embrace me. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed. We broke apart, and Jareth was there. He didn't try to hug me, so I hugged him first. He seemed surprised but open to the idea.

"Hugs all around," I declared as I pulled away. "I'm alive, the sun is shining and the world is still intact. It's a beautiful day, don't you think?" I hugged all my cousins, a few people I had never met before and ended with Varian, who got a hug and a kiss.

"Hey, you," I said, the goofy grin coming back to my face. "Guess what?"

"What?" he whispered back.

"I'm alive."

"So you are," he said, giving me another hug. Two for one. Sweet.

He pointed toward the glittering pile. "Gifts from your admirers."

"All for me? Goodness gracious, I don't know what to say," I said, batting my eyes a few times for good measure. I got a few chuckles, which was a good thing. I would hate to think that floating over the Labyrinth and conversing with its creator had a negative effect on my ability to entertain.

"Of course, we thought that you might appreciate something a little more personal as a thank you," Jareth said. I noticed that everyone was smiling like they had a secret, and that Jareth was playing with one of his crystals. He turned toward the empty room and tossed the crystal toward the empty space. It landed with a gentle clink and then smoke spiraled up and out, disappearing quickly and leaving two people standing in its wake.

I took a hesitant step forward, my eyes disbelieving.

"Mom? Dad?"

I threw myself at my parents, and Zane joined the group hug as we stood embracing and talking over each other as we kissed and cried a little. My parents looked bewildered, probably since they'd been under the impression that I was safely back at school, but I was thrilled to pieces. After some very hurried and unsatisfying explanations about why I was in the Underground instead of in my dorm room, Dad broke away to hug Sarah, both of them crying and smiling while Jareth stood by and waited patiently for his opportunity to shake Dad's hand.

The goblins chose that moment to rush the throne room in search of a chicken that had apparently gone missing not so very long ago. This added an extra dimension of special to the chaos as Delia and Jerrick attempted to impose some sort of order on their subjects since their parents were otherwise occupied. What had been a small family gathering was now a gigantic free-for-all as other members of the magical community took the opportunity to enter the throne room as well, in search of the Goblin King.

"Zora," my mother said, brushing my hair back from my forehead gently. "What is going on?"

Visions of my time in the Labyrinth flashed through my head in a bizarre montage and I felt the Labyrinth itself stir in my mind. I shook my head a little and looked over at Varian, who was being introduced to my slightly awe-struck father. I thought back to all the events that had conspired to bring me to this point – a storybook that came to life years ago, a fight, an wish that was unexpectedly granted. Running through the Labyrinth, finding long lost family members and discovering that centuries of planning had gone into creating me (I was still surprised that no one had asked for their money back).

And here I was, in the castle beyond the Goblin City, watching my father and his missing sister embrace for the fourth time. My boyfriend, who happened to be a king and seemed pretty interested in a long term commitment, was making his way over to be introduced to my mother. Our eyes met and held, and I saw a rather fantastic promise hidden in gaze.

I grinned and rolled my eyes, turning my attention back to my mother.

"Have I got a story for you."

FIN


End file.
